Bebo Norman

My favorite, favorite, favorite Christian musician is Bebo Norman. Last night Andy took me to see him play live at a local church here in Davenport. It was spectacular! It was just Bebo and one of his band members playing their guitars. It gave it a much more relaxed, intimate feeling instead of a hyped-up 'performance'.

For those of you Bebo fans, he played several favorites: Stand, Walk Down This Mountain, The Hammer Holds, All That I Have Sown; as well as a few newer ones: Nothing Without You and I Will Lift My Eyes.

Another perk about having such a small concert, was that he was able to share about his life, his struggles, and his songs. One song that I didn't recognize called The Only Hope, really moved me. He wrote it after having moved to Nashville. He met a woman who lived down the street, Laney. She was close to his age and he said she weighed about 85 lbs. She came over to introduce herself when he moved in and asked him to give her some money. She said she would continue to stop by every now and then and told him it would be nice if he would continue to give her money.

He did give her money that first day and asked her what she needed it for. She said she had a bit of a drug problem (she was honest!), but she also took care of her mother and needed it for food and to use the bus. He told her he hoped she'd come back, but from now on he'd say no to her requests for money. But if she was hungry, he'd fix her a sandwich and if she needed to go somewhere he'd walk her to the bus stop and put her on the bus.

They developed a friendship and she got to know his friends and then later his wife. One day, while Bebo was on tour, his wife came home to find their house broken into and some money taken. Someone had seen Laney there. But all she took was the spare change she could find and left the house a mess while looking for it. She left the furniture, TV, anything of real value, and only took what change she could find.

Bebo later told her that if she had anything to do with that incident, he hoped she knew he forgave her. And she said that if she had had something to do with it, she hoped he knew she was sorry. What is interesting, is that at any time Laney could have asked for far more than just pocket change and the Normans would have given it to her, yet in her shame, she felt she needed to sneak through their house searching for mere quarters.

He then went on to say, isn't that just like us and God? He has so much more to offer to us and tells to ask so that He can give it to us. Yet we, in our humanness and sinfulness, desire such small and insignificant things.

I wish I could sing that song for you, but alas, I am no where near as talented as Bebo. But a few lines of that song can easily relay it's meaning:

I want a crumb, but You are a feast
I want a song, but You are a symphony
I want a star, but You are a galaxy
I have resolved that I'm much better off in what You have for me.