Whaaa…you may be asking, as in what am I talking about. Yes, I know. It sounds weird. Probably the last thing that you suspect I would feel is the presence of God at a R&B concert.
It was years ago at Radio City Music Hall. The legendary Chaka Kahn opened, followed by swooner Alan Thicke. However, the big headliner was neo soul artist Jill Scott. Let me just say that I have a deep affinity for this artist. Her music is the perfect combination of rhythm and storytelling. Checkout her first two albums. I challenge you to find one song on Who is Jill Scott that you don’t like. “The Way” and “A Long Walk” are high on my list. And then, there’s my anthem “Golden” followed by “Blessed” on her album Beautifully Human.
Putting my fandom aside, there is just no denying that she is extremely talented. It is not just with her artistry, her witty lyrics and uncanny ability to draw you into the story that she is telling, but she can sang! And, this brings me back to Radio City Hall. She sang my favorite love song by her, “He Loves Me.” And….just at the end of the second verse…Wait, do you know the song? She sings:
Invite me, you ignite me, co-write me, you love me, you like me
Incite me to chorus
La la la
Then suddenly, unexpectedly, and marvelously, her la-la-las transformed into this operatic rendition. She let out deep notes from the depths of her soul and gracefully made her way up the music scale to these unbelievably high notes. It was so powerful, so much that it was almost hard to contain at one point. I was just left in awe and was forced to come to the conclusion that a voice that spectacular could only come from God. There is no other answer.
But here is the thing. I wasn’t at church. But I found myself pondering the wonder of God. Why? It was because Jill Scott was fully, unapologetically, and boldly operating in her gift. That day I had a striking example to see what it was like to let our unique light shine.
Was everyone in the concert hall praising God like I was to myself? No, definitely not! Was her primary goal for singing the song to give God the glory? I don’t know. All I can say is what my main takeaway was and this is what I find myself now sharing with you. It’s this: Let your light, the image of God inside of you, shine. Stop minimizing who you are, stop shrinking. Don’t compare yourself to others. What God has given you is special and powerful. That is the only type of gifts that God gives. The combination of you operating fully in your gift for good deeds will transform the lives and the spaces that you encounter.
