Take just a second to soak in the video above. If you’re close to my age, the easy-going guitar riff of Hotel California will launch you back to your youth. I never have paid attention to the lyrics, but I love the tune.
I had the pleasure of attending the 5th Annual Musician’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Not only did I get to see Garth Brooks, Don Felder of the Eagles, Peter Frampton, The Sigma Sound Rhythm Section, and Ricky Skaggs perform some of their greatest hits, but I had the privilege of hearing these folks and others speak personally honoring the unsung heroes of the industry, the engineers, producers, and band members.
But above and beyond hearing the moving stories behind the great music, and the songs themselves, was for me, that the set design and all of the artwork, on stage and that which was flashed on the huge overhead screen as the musicians performed, was the work of my husband, Jerry Palmer. Little did anyone know the designs that first happened in his imagination—and then cut out by our friend, Rick Brann—were brought to life in Jerry’s small studio attached to our horse barn. I am so proud of him for his accomplishments and the beauty of his work, but the humility that lives in his heart and the desire to “work as if he were working for the Lord and not unto man,” spoke volumes to me.
Scroll through some of these photos from the ceremony. Be sure to check out the set design! Embed from Getty Images
Ricky Skaggs, in remembering everyone who had brought him to fame and fortune, with heartfelt emotion, first thanked Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. In finishing, he spoke poignant truth when he said, “He (Jesus) did not call me to be famous, but to be faithful.”
Many others there, like Ricky, profess Jesus, never thinking to deny, but always thinking to live completely for Him. Jerry does. My daughter, who let out a resounding hoot and holler to Ricky Skagg’s speech, does. And I do too. At least that’s what I thought. That was until the Lord impressed on my heart that denial has many faces and to my dismay, is alive and well in me.
Denial can be multi-faceted, often escaping notice, perhaps as subtle as laughing at an off-colored joke. Or that whispered tidbit of gossip. Or even that wee white lie. It can be anything that squelches or denies the Spirit of the Lord—who lives inside each and every Christian—to not give into temptations. So it would seem, that our minute-by-minute choices could land us, more often than we could imagine or want, standing right beside Peter when he was asked if he was a companion of the man from Galilee.
God never shines the light into the corners (or forefront) of our hearts to bring condemnation, but to ultimately draw us closer to Him. “When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” (See 1 John 1:9 ESV.) So when He does confront our hearts, welcome His light, because if not, the hidden ugliness living there will rear its grotesque head, pouncing on and taking us down when we least expect it. That’s what happened with Cain and Abel. Cain, so angry with his brother, was warned by God that “sin was at the door and was ready to master him.” And indeed it did. (See Genesis 4:6-7.)
The Good News of the Gospel is that what happened with Cain doesn’t need to happen to us. Sin does not need to triumph. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, to save us from sin, to pour His righteousness into us. When we humble ourselves and tell Him we can’t change—we keep doing what we don’t want to do and not doing what we know we should (see Romans 7:21-25)—that’s when God’s transformation in us truly begins.
If we could save ourselves, get rid of sin, and fix all that is wrong within our hearts and lives, then Jesus didn’t need to be crucified for us. (See Galatians 3:1-5.)
Thank You, Lord, that we can’t…
and that He did.
Thank You, Lord, for Jesus.
Kimberly
Kimberly is the author of the children’s book Mr. Zip and The Capital Z.
Watch the book trailer here.
Beautiful Kim!!!
Joyfully!!
Rochelle Brann
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