Thoughts while Traveling

after the long talk that began in the mall, climaxed over dinner, and somewhat concluded in the car with Todd...this article follows up the dialogue in a seemingly perfect manner. An excerpt from an editorial in Relevant magazine:


"For three years I didn’t tell anyone about my dream to write music because I was terrified of someone thinking it was stupid. It sounds trivial, I know, (and it is), but when we think we’ve dreamed too big, we expect everyone to tell us where we went wrong. The dangers are clear, so we start to choose a different path, an easier path. One filled with coffee shops and small talk. We become so afraid sometimes that we end up doing nothing. Try and fail or try and succeed. Just don’t abandon your dreams.

If we believe that God gave us these dreams, we have to pursue them without compromising. Despite the danger and despite the risk, we must move forward. Maybe it’s not supposed to be simple and easy. The Israelites had the desert, Jesus had the cross, and Paul had his beatings. Maybe the end result is validated by the battle you took to get there. God is a mystery. I’m not claiming to understand Him or how He moves, but if you honestly believe that something is a godly desire, you need to fight for it—like panning for gold through dirt. If you don’t see how God could be glorified through it, question why you are after it in the first place.

I know I have to play my songs. I have to because if I don’t, I’ll be an old man wondering why I didn’t. I have to at least give it a try. There are risks when you follow your dreams, but there are greater dangers if you don’t. When my hair is gray, I don’t want to be wondering why I didn’t give it a shot. We just have to hold our breath, count to three and jump. So here we go. And with enough work, you might see me touring your city in my little Toyota Camry sometime soon. Or you might not. I can deal with either one. But at least I will know on my dying day that I was, at one point, a musician."

[John Crist is a musician currently living in Columbus, Ohio. You can hear his music at www.johncrist.com or www.purevolume.com/johncrist.]