From Chicken to John Legend
A few weeks ago I did the song “All of Me” by John Legend in my son’s wedding, and then I heard he was coming to Raleigh. It was last night. I really wanted to go, but had no ticket. Really cool thing happened.
5:00pm – Home from work. No tickets.
6:00pm – I’ll just get some work done for church.
7:00pm – I wonder what’s new on Netflix. The concert woulda been great.
7:30pm – Sitting on my bed watching a documentary on killer whales. Fascinating. Concert starts now.
8:00pm – Facebook friends start posting pictures of the concert opening.
8:07pm – Hey, I wonder if there’s a point where they just let everybody in.
8:08pm – Wow. Never knew killer whales don’t really like working at SeaWorld. More friends post photos on Facebook of the show. They’re having a blast!
8:16pm – A prompting again says “Stefan, just go down there and ask to walk in for free.” I get dressed and run out the house.
8:28pm – Arrive downtown and oddly find a single open parking space close to the gate. I can hear the music and applause. (Angels saying, keep going to the gate!)
8:30pm – I get to exit gate, and they look at me like I’m crazy when I ask if it’s possible to enter without a ticket. Small talk with security guy. I ask who I can talk to and they said give me 2 names at the main gate.
8:31pm – I walk in that direction past a crowd of people listening outside the fence. Approach ticket lady #1 and explain I don’t have a ticket. She gives me that look of, “You gotta be kidding. Security!”
8:32pm – She lets 2 other ladies through who were scrolling through their phones to find their tickets.
8:33pm – I know its coming. She says, “Just go ahead, it’s fine.” And now I was in the concert. I’m flipping out because 30 min earlier I was in my house finishing a piece of chicken and now I’m at the concert…for free. I’m in the back. I download a Camera Zoom App really quick for my phone. The sound and visual was amazing. No seat, but that’s OK. This is perfect. But I wonder what its like in the front.
8:36pm – I walk up towards the restrooms and realize somehow I’m next to the stage. Wow! More pictures. Incredible energy. Security eventually makes us all move back. Suddenly a hand comes out to shake mine. Its my friend Brian, owner of a Sports and Entertainment Ticketing company. Great time catching up. For years we met on Thursdays at a local sports bar. He asks where I’m sitting and I tell him I don’t have a seat. He says “Ok, now you’re with me. Comon.” Through security we go down to the 4th row. One empty seat was there in the middle. Ok God, is this real? It all started with an inkling to get up and just believe that I God could do… anything. Incredible evening.
I posted a day ago, “So far in 2014 the accumulation of experiences has outweighed the accumulation of things in my life 100 to 1.” A few months ago it was a life changing trip to Mt Everest Base Camp in Nepal, and now just downtown to see a concert…on faith. I think God experiences, and certainly God glorifying opportunities knock on our doors every day. Lord help me to believe and respond when you speak. “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.” Psalm 119:1 The Message