With Every Breath I Am Able

Last night was planned and it didn’t disappoint. Carl, his daughter, Veronica and I went to the “We the Kingdom” Concert Tour, put on by the K-Love radio station’s DJs, Skip & Amy.

We went an hour early to get good seats (first-come, first serve seating). We had great seats. Aisle seating for me. How much sweeter could it get? Oh, it can get even sweeter!

A couple, both in their electric wheelchairs pull up beside me, I’m thinking, “Here comes a blog!” Teresa, the darling wife in her wheelchair, asked if she could park her chair next to me. Of course, she could. Then her husband, Nick, pulled just ahead of her. That’s when our conversation began.

I learned that they are from San Antonio and they drove to Austin just for the concert. I might add – their 57th concert that they have attended. This is their own gig. It is their spice-of-life! They manage themselves to these venues in their van. Though they both have forms of cerebral palsy, they are relentless. They are not to be pitied. They are radiant with Jesus’ love with no complaints.

They are purposeful — living with no regrets. They have a FB Live show called “Cooking with the Quads” and they do volunteer work. Teresa is a teacher. Cerebral palsy is a name and it sure doesn’t define them. And nothing should define you and me – except what we all have in common. We ARE children of God and His Kingdom.

K-Love is our listening pleasure as we travel around Austin. We love the songs of “We the Kingdom” – my favorites being “Holy Water” and “God So Loved”. We jammed along with the group!

When we attend concerts or symphonies, we go for the enjoyment of removing ourselves from the day’s ups and downs and load up with the music, talented vocalists and musicians, and their stories.

What a tremendous testimony of God’s amazing grace we heard from “We the Kingdom”. They were not an “overnight” success. Probably a similar story to yours and mine. Day by day; step by step; climbing over hurdles, while trusting that “with God, nothing is impossible”, is how we have lived our lives! We heard “We the Kingdom’s” background story and it is one that most all of us have experienced in some form.

Every artist’s career begins with a dream. Sometimes dreams are promised and quickly fulfilled. Other times, dreams are planted—rooted deep in the soil of their hearts, needing to be watered and cultivated, so that at the proper time, they can bear fruit. “We the Kingdom” is the yummy fruit of a planted dream. A dream that not even the group’s five members could have seen coming.

The multi-generational family band—consists of brothers Ed Cash and Scott Cash, Ed’s daughter Franni, his son Martin and dear friend Andrew Bergthold.

We were blessed with the music and hearing their personal stories of defeat to championship wins. Their music isn’t confined to the pretty parts of life but covers the full spectrum, including the messy parts.

And isn’t that our stories if we are faithful to the call of God on our lives. It isn’t always pretty, but it is our story of taking one day at a time, filling it up with gratitude, even amid the storms, because, like Teresa and Nick, We the Kingdom, and you and me……we are biding our time as pilgrims on our pilgrimage, moving closer and closer to living forever together in the Kingdom of God!