kinship in Christ

it might be cheesy to quote one's sister, but oh well...

Revolutionaries (2nd half of the song) by Miss Beth Dillon:

They shake their heads
As they drive away in the bandwagon
Didn’t feel like hitching a ride
Oh, but I’ll be fine
Some nights it’s hard to be alone
I WANT SOME KIND OF KINSHIP
But the finish line
It drives me on
When they say

Come with me
They’ll call us revolutionaries
Come with me
They’ll call us revolutionaries

Dreaming all the time
It’s not foolish
YOUR FLOOD OF LIFE GIVING WORDS
THEY WILL REFRESH
They will refresh

...so traveling a good bit of the time, it can be lonely. isn't it strange to think you could be surrounded nearly constantly by the same people on a bus and tons of new people every night and still be lonely in the midst of it all? but take it from me, its a real thing. i have felt it every time i have been out on a tour. but you also have those people who stick out in a night- those people who literally REfresh you with their words of Life- those people that do more than buy a t-shirt from you or want to know what its like having a 'famous' sister/husband- those people who absolutely BECOME your kin- those people who emrace you as a member of the kingdom.... i love for those sweet people...i long for them from night to night. and i want to take some time to honor them in this blog...

kalispell, montana... she was the one 'assigned' to take me to return my rental car and then to target for some mascara. sometimes this is painfully akward...you take turns asking questions and answering the ones aimed at you, but she opened her life to me. she seemed like she would have been little miss prim and proper her whole life, but she shared with me that she was an alcoholic and had struggled to find what others seemed to have in the church. AA helped her to find Jesus in a way that connected her to that life. she dropped me off with an assuming smile and reminded me that 'everyone has their own journey to God' i needed that comment more than she will ever know.

spokane, washington... i was putting out new bracelets on the table at intermission and she purposefully marched up to the table. 'kate?' i smiled to indicate i was in fact kate. the smile spread across her tanned face and she wasted no time grabbing my hand. 'i have been praying for you.' she proceeded to tell me how shawn's music had encouraged her and how she had been praying for us ever since she read on the site that he had married. her daughter is struggling with drugs, but came to the concert with her live-in boyfriend because she loves the music. she embraced me and whispered in my ear the painful details of her daughter's wanderings and the hope she has found while clinging to Jesus. she left us with a book she enscribed beautifully and she also gave us fresh hope to borrow when ours was feeling a little tired.

seattle, washington...SO MANY PEOPLE...probably too many to mention...of course all of our dear friends (frank, tracy, matt, bryan, andy...) who come out to love on you and to be a familiar face- it takes special friends to put up with all of that some times. we love you! tyson...what a great spirit...joanna from the boards, whom i have met a few times and wish i could get coffee with...you know how some people just get to you? joanna is like that for me. then the sweet girl who helped me at the merch table and is the self-proclaimed biggest shawn fan *grin* this was a fun one...at a show last december i met 3 girls that i seriously wanted to connect with later and be their friends..but like my silly self, i lost their email addresses! i even posted on shawn's website trying to find them (talk about desperation ha!) then at the show that night, one of those girls, jamie, came up to the table! she remembered! i felt like that was a little gift from God. she's recently married (one week before us) ...i have been praying for that!

longview, washington...the sweet merch girls who talked openly with me about the question of 'what is God doing in my life? where is He leading? why did this door close or this one open?' i remember asking God..'why am i selling t-shirts with my little sister's name on them when i have a degree and a desire to go to seminary!?!?' then i met shawn.

eugene, oregon... on this night i was abundantly blessed with great people. the merch girls made me laugh... i was so glad to have some girls to laugh about girl things with!!! ahh...what a relief. and i FINALLY got to meet my friend from the blogging-world, shannon. we didn't get to talk as much as i had hoped, but i loved connected her words with the amazing escence of her spirit. (girl, i can't wait to get coffee sometime!) at the end of the show, this beautiful woman and her beautiful daughter came up to the table...the mom was in tears...a little embarressed, though she needn't be on my account, and shared with me through her tears. her son had gotten married the day before (i got to see a little video...it was on the beach- breath-taking!) and she said it had been 'a difficult year'...i still don't know what she meant by that, but she got to me. i felt the tears welling up in my own eyes. i didn't need to know what was difficult...i felt her heart. we embraced and she allowed me to pray over her...now that's being part of the family.

bend, oregon...shawn's family! i love them! they are the kind of people who look you in the eye and hug you tightly. i am glad to be an adopted member of that family. also so great to see dan and dave...men of God!

clovis, cali... okay, i am a jerk for not remembering this girl's name, but she was the one running the coffee bar..and while the coffee did definately touch me *grin* i loved her heart more. a missionary to the core. i pray God sends her somewhere and plants that place deep in her..just grafts her into the place she was made for! (if you are reading this, i am praying for you!..and by the way, you have the best smile!)

the six flags show... okay, so i want to take the time to highlight the other girls who are actually on this tour...i knew they were great when i first heard their names: rachel and rachel. (also my middle name) rachel the bus driver is the 11th of 12 kids (no twins, all the same parents) and has a richness to her life and story you seldom experience. rachel the world vision girl is awesome too...great heart...her facial expressions are only second to that heart *grin* we bought matching target t-shirts that day and felt pretty darn special. (and no we haven't worn them on the same day yet) at this show, shawn and i got to hang out with his cousin, dusty, and his girlfriend, naomi. i love them! move to seattle and hang out with us!

riverside, cali...breanna! wow girl. she came right up to the table and said she had no money, but that she was doing a woman's retreat and wanted to share a particular song from 'simply nothing' with the women. i handed her a cd. she smiled and said she had told God she needed a cd but couldn't afford it and He told her just to ask. she felt a little embarressed, but did it anyway. i am so glad..we probably wouldn't have been able to visit so much if she hadn't. she shared and talked and in ten minutes she had transformed from stranger to friend to family. she held on to me and prayed for me. when she asked me how she could pray for me, i spilled my guts. this woman is a prayer warrior- i sensed it. God bless her!

mesa, arizona... meeting kirsta for the first time after so much conversing was a blessing in and of itself. God is going to take care of you, girlie. and seeing rachael, formerly of extreme faith, was and always is, a pleasure. her eyes light up when she speaks and listens...you know how you love some people's faces? i love hers. God has a plan for you, girlfriend! i can't wait to see what He does with your current circumstances...say hi to danielle for me too. [side note: this new kid, nate huss, opened for shawn---awesome! check him out! really humble, sweet kid too]

TONIGHT...salt lake city, utah... this is going to seem small, but the ladies who made our lunch/dinner today at calvary chapel were especially sweet. i haven't been feeling that great, but i had a little appetite at dinner so i made myself a plate and sat down and then realized i didn't get any water to drink. i thought about it for a second (but didn't say anything) and dismissed the idea of actually getting up again to get some. one of the ladies (without a word) brought me a cup of ice and asked 'hon, would like something to drink? can i get you water?' and when she asked, which was nice enough in and of itself, she put her hand on my back in that motherly way that only special women can do. small, perhaps, but it made my night.

so don't ever under-estimate that power of a kind word or a real conversation...some of us live on those things. thank you and God bless to all of you who have touched my life..on the road, in my 'normal' life, and through this blog. thank you!