Last night, as I walked into church for choir practice, Carlee, the daughter of one of our drummers was sitting on the floor eating dinner.  She looked up at me and said ‘Jon Hull, you’re so lucky!”  When I asked her what she meant, she said, ’cause you got to meet Mandisa.”

While I’m not a believer in luck, I understood what she was saying.  And honestly, I agree — I do get to do a lot of things that many consider to be cool.  Getting to spend two hours with someone getting as much television exposure as this lady is certainly one of them.  But the thing I liked most about the time Liz and I got to spend with Mandisa on Wednesday afternoon may surprise you.

She was so normal!

Christian artists lead lives that are, in many ways, very different from ours.  They travel a great deal, get put in the spotlight frequently, and (because of their position as an artist) are often called upon to give ‘expert’ opinion on subjects that they may not really be experts on.  Mandisa has the added benefit (or pressure) of what she’s experienced because of her Americal Idol exposure.  From what I’ve been able to see, that experience has given her an angle on a lot of things that you and I (even those of us on radio) will never know.

If you’re familiar with her story, she came on American Idol and made it very clear that she was a believer in Christ.  When snide comments were made about her weight (something she admits she’s battled most of her life) she was deeply hurt, but chose to allow God to use that opportunity to express His grace.  From that moment on, I’m sure she was ‘in the crosshairs ‘ for many who’d like to see another Christian person discredited.  That opportunity came when she introduced the song ‘Shackles’ on the show by indicating it was a message for people who’d like ‘to be set free from unhealthy lifestyle choices.’  While she was speaking about her struggles with weight, that phrase was taken by many in the Homosexual community as an indictment against their lifestyle.  And from that point on, she was labeled, and targeted, as a ‘hater.’   She readily admits that at the time, it was one of the things that sent her into a deep depression.  She questioned God, His call on her life and, according to her, she walked through one of the darkest moments she’d known.

And yet, the person that Liz and I saw in our studio yesterday was a person who, rather than being embittered by her experiences, had been refined and empowered.  She spoke honestly about the ‘light and momentary’ afflictions we struggle with and how they often seem neither light, or momentary.  She shared honestly about her stuggles, and her hopes, and her confidence that God is there for any of His children who are going through tough times – whether they’re walked out in the public eye, or privately with only God as a witness.  Her loving treatment of those who’d hurt her, and her honest appraisal of her own shortcomings was a joy to encounter in someone who’d seen the highs and lows of life.

I think God is using Mandisa.  Judging by the comments many of you sent during the show yesterday, you’d probably agree.  But please don’t put her on a pedestal.  As different as her life is from many of ours, there are still tremendous similarities.  She struggles (and often fails) with the same things you and I do.  So rather than thinking Liz and I are ’lucky’ to be around someone so famous, realize that the true blessing comes from being able to spend time with someone who has a gift to clearly share what God has done and is doing in her life.

Thanks for reading.  I love you,

Jon

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am and is filed under Jon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.