Hey, hey, hey, Jesus Freak Hideout-land. Here we are, back out on the road again. We had a nice break after the Blood, Sweat, and Rock ‘n Roll Tour. It was barely a week, but it was nice to be in Nashville for a few days. We hit the road yet again this last week for a few days of gigs in Wisconsin. We’ve been lucky enough to spend the last two days in Chicago with some great friends of ours. Although, we’ve had to fix the van on this trip, it’s been great thus far. Tomorrow, it’s off to Denver, and then we’re off to California for the start of the Air1 Appreciation tour. We’re excited to be on that tour with a few great bands…Manic Drive, The Wrecking, and The Red Airplanes. We’ll be reporting back to JFH throughout that tour, so we’re excited to be on that ride with you all.
If you don’t know, right now Nashville is more or less completely under water. We left right before Nashville was hit with rain of epic proportions. Apparently Nashville got two months worth of rain within 48 hours. The rivers, levees, and general drainage couldn’t handle all the water, and it spilled out into much of the city. Please be praying for the residents of Nashville, and the surrounding areas. There have been a number of folks who have lost their lives, and hundreds, if not thousands have lost their homes.
As far as the band is concerned, Jonathan our drummer, was the hit the worst by the floods. Some great, great friends of ours went over to his place to assess the damage and found that he had standing water throughout his place. Thankfully, many of his valuables went unscathed, but his furniture is going to be a loss. We are very thankful that his situation isn’t worse than it could have been…and it goes without saying that we are most thankful for the safety of our friends and family, and that they’re all safe. Our belongings can be replaced.
What’s strange about all the events in Nashville, is that despite it being our home, it feels distant since we are on the road. It’s so easy to feel distanced from tragedy when we don’t see it with our own eyes. I know I’m as guilty as anyone. I’ve seen and been a part of a tragedy up close and personal, yet as time has passed since that event, it’s been easy once again to feel detached from those situations. I’m sure something could be said about the human condition in all of this…I don’t know what that is exactly, but it makes me sad to think about it. Whatever it is, it’s the same thing that keeps us on the sidelines when we see the recent tragedy in Haiti, or the famine in a number of African nations. It makes me think a lot about where my priorities lie. What do I really value in this life? What do I do with my time and money? Where does God fit into all of this, and how is He shaping who I am, and my life? Although, those things cross my mind, as I’m sure it does with many of us, it seemingly passes right through until the next time I really sit down and think about what’s important in this life. Truth be told, I wish I had a magic answer for all of this, but all I know is that it always reminds me that this is yet another reason why I need Jesus. It’s yet another reminder that I’m not proud of my humanity, and that daily I need to lay down my pride and come to Jesus. He’s my redemption, my comforter, my rock. In the light of the Nashville floods of 2010, I’m reminded that what really matters is God, family, and friends.
David