God see’s all His humans, as His children.

A topic that was brought up at dinner one night was that many famous people wish they weren’t famous. And I completely understand why. I wish I didn’t see them like this, but sometimes I forget that they are actually humans. I’ll be listening to an artist that writes sad music, and will only care about my sad feelings. I totally push aside the fact that another human is actually singing and probably feels this way too. 

For the longest time I thought I was alone when it came to the feelings I felt and the music I listened to. But it took me till tonight, to realize that I wasn’t. 

There’s an artist named “Jake McElfresh,” that goes by “Front Porch Step.” I listened to him from my freshmen year of high school, to this day. Have I ever listened to him in front of people besides my friends that saw me at my lowest in high school? Absolutely not. 

At the beginning of my sophomore year of high school I told people I didn’t believe in God and would throw in that I was an atheist. I was very sad at the time and was angry at the world. I would listen to FPS album, “Aware.” It is a very sad album and the genre is “emo-punk.” I eventually defined myself as emo and tried finding my identity in those lyrics. Throughout the year I started going to a youth group organization called Young Life. I started to finally believe that God is real, and no longer worshipped FPS songs.

My junior year came and Young Life and God became a huge part of my life. I also started listening to his album, “I Never Loved Before I Found You.” The first time I listened to it I was with my friend Meagan. I still remember being like, “MEAGAN!! HE’S STARTING TO TALK TO GOD IN HIS SONGS!!” Which, for a girl that felt the lyrics that he sang, it was so cool to see. But I was at a place where I still didn’t understand some of the words he would sing “to our King,” as he sang in his song, “Worship from a Wretch.”

Here I am, I haven’t listened to his music in almost a year. I was headed to bed tonight, but went a head and checked Apple Music to see if any new music dropped and it said FPS dropped a new song. I clicked on it and the genre said, “Christian.” Let me just tell you, my jaw dropped. The feelings that I’ve been feeling about my past lately is that I was alone and no-one understood. Yet I also now see that I wasn’t alone. 

 

Okay, now that you just read that, I want to share, that was my view on FPS as an artist. But I re-listened to his music tonight and actually listened. 

Tonight, September 27th, 2021. I listened to his music as the girl who now finds her identity in Christ. The girl who understands that we as christians go through trials and tribulations. I am now starting to understand that it’s okay to sit at our Fathers feet and tell Him that we are sad and upset and angry. That it’s okay to tell Him how we see Him in those moments that we feel those feelings. Just like the lyrics that Jake McElfresh wrote in every single one of His songs.

When I listened to his music back in 2016/2017, I saw him in the lens of my emotions. But he wasn’t. He was a christian that was going through trial and tribulations. He was being honest with God, telling God how he actually felt. And I now understand. I can listen to his music now and see him as a son of God that was being spiritually mature, and not hiding his feelings from his Father. 

Here is a bible verse to sit on. Go before our Father, tell him how you feel. Let him know the “lyrics” that are hiding in your heart, that you’re too scared to share. He’s not angry at you for having anger towards Him. But be honest, and let him comfort you. Praise God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” – 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4