Passion 06 continued...

I'm sitting here in our extended-stay hotel room watching Seinfeld, waiting for my pre-dinner snack to warm up and drinking some mandarin orange tea. We're in between sessions right now...sessions that we didn't and won't be attending. Because Passion 06 has been a struggle for Jarryd and I. Designed to challenge your mind, your beliefs, your faith and your diligence and committment to the cause of Christ, this Passion conference has challenged us a more basic area of life and faith. Theology aside, we have been challenged to trust the Lord with our health, our physical well-being.

We had extravagant plans and expectations for this trip. Plans for places, sessions, speakers, foods, guitars and people to go, see, hear, try, buy and meet have long been forgotten after our second night here. Our first day here was tremendous. We started the day off early after a long drive overnight; ate breakfast, shopped a bit and registered for what we expected and knew would be an amazing conference. But something came over me before the first session was through, something that bit me in the stomach and made me feel faint, weak and absolutely miserable. I sucked it up and toughed through the rest of the night which included separate small group sessions and a Shane and Shane concert, that I happened to have fallen asleep in. (I know, yes, I did feel that bad.) But God's grace, mercy, love and provision was already beginning to shine through then. At my weakest point on the verge of tears, I ran into a friend who I didn't know was here in the midst of 18,000 college students and broke down into tears because I didn't think I could make it through the rest of the night. I made it through the rest of the night, including sleeping on her shoulder to the musings of Shane and Shane. But back at the hotel was another story. The worst came...and it was beyond miserable. Through it all, I cried out to the Lord for healing and strength, continuously reminding myself, "this too will pass." But it was so hard to remember that.

After the arduous night, the morning seemed much better. But still weak. We traveled to downtown Nashville, got the parking lot and sat for about 20 minutes until we realized we weren't well enough to make it through the day and went back to the hotel to rest. We were able to make it the evening sessions of Passions but couldn't endure another late night session. So it was off to the grocery store for the third time during our stay to get medicine (we already made two previous trips when we bought some medicine for at least one of us each time). Soup and medicine. The morning was bearable until lunch time when Jarryd wasn't well enough to stick around. More medicine and food; back to the hotel. One more trip to the grocery store to buy more medicine for Jarryd, and now we're praying that he gets well and over this fever.

Definitely the last thing I expected for Passion 06, especially for two people who rarely get sick. I expected great things from God, intriguing lessons and poweful worship. I still got those.

To God be the glory...always...

more later...
Be blessed,
Jezz