Winter Jam 2012: The Lord Is With Me. And You.

A last second decision Friday afternoon led to a day of head nodding Saturday while desperately trying to stay away in our weekend radiology seminar. And given the opportunity, I again would make that decision in a heart beat. I spent Friday night with a sold-out Bryce Jordan Center for Winter Jam 2012 and an experience I won't be forgetting.

For those of you who don't know what Winter Jam is- it is a night full of Christian music and worship with 10 Christian Bands- for $10. This year performers include Christian-Rock Band Skillet, Building 429, Sanctus Real, Kari Jobe, Group 1 Crew, For King and Country, NewSong, Dara Maclean, Peter Furler (Former lead singer of Newsboys), and We as Human. If you ever have the chance to go- seize it!


So anyways- After a rough week and a half that I had been struggling to just trust, accept, and leave things up to God, I found myself heading north-east on I-99 to State College with a friend. So all of the sudden, here I was, talking to her about life's current struggles, swapping memories, and stuck in traffic on the East Park Avenue Exit- about a mile from the 2012 Winter Jam concert-as it began. We were stuck there for almost an hour- something that would normally have driven me insane- but the funny thing was, I didn't even give it a second thought. It just was-not good, not bad-just was. We sat there in that hour chatting, sharing stories and memories. And while we missed the first half hour of the concert, it was worth every second.

We walked in as Building 429 was starting to play one of my favorite songs- Listen to the Sound. And listen we did- to an incredible sound, along with 15,000+ others. It was a night of prayer, praise, and music. Every artist had the audience on their feet- and what a powerful thing, to worship with so many others. God breathed so much life into that center Friday night. With meaningful song lyrics and beautiful voices, I pray that for those who were there simply to hear Skillet, they heard and walked away with so much more.
Sanctus Real playing Forgiven just brought the song to an entirely new level-it really hit home- what a powerful reminder that ever single one of us can relate to:

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven <3

Skillet ended the night with a great show, and before we knew it, we found ourselves heading home. The experience led us to a deeper discussion about life and past experiences, about hurt, about hope. Things happen for a reason, even if we cannot ever understand or grasp them. Why we ended up in State College this weekend was clear: God wanted to remind me that, even in the struggle and the uncertainty, He is with me. He will never leave me. He has forgiven me for every mistake I have ever made and ever will make. I am never alone.

The Lord was definitely with each and every one of us in that packed Bryce Jordan Center Friday in whatever way we needed Him to be. He knows us individually, for who we are. He knows our deep desires, our wishes, our needs. And He will fulfill those. Always.