You don’t want his life.
Sure you’d take the Dove Awards earlier this year that honored Jeremy Camp as Male Vocalist and New Artist of the Year. You wouldn’t mind that kind of rocket-boosted ascent so quickly in your music career. You’d take that powerful rock ‘n’ roll voice, reminiscent of Creed or Third Day. And why not add the physique — at least those arms? The guy’s got guns.
Then there’s the pretty wife with the cool South African accent who not only sings background on your album but who used to front her own rockin’ band. (Remember Benjamin Gate?) And throw in your first child, a daughter, who was born just last month.
No, you don’t want this seemingly fairy-tale life. Unless . . .
You don’t want to pay the price. You don’t want to ride the roller coaster Jeremy’s been on, the one that felt like it jumped the track and took an all-out nosedive. You don’t want to listen to the doctor tell you that the cancer is back and that your wife has only weeks, maybe months, to live. You don’t want to experience the desperation of watching every treatment method you can find fail.
You don’t want to feel your heart ripped out — not at any age, especially not as young as 23. You don’t want to wait and watch your wife die. You don’t want to fall to your knees and ball up in a foetal position on the cold hospital floor and tell God that you don’t want to live anymore.
You don’t want to know that devastation. Unless . . .
. . . Unless you’re willing to get back on your feet in that hospital room, raise your hands just barely and worship alongside family — not because you feel like it at all, but out of obedience to the Lord. Unless you’re able to walk through the grief, the anger, the questioning of God. Unless you can choose to be content with the answer: "You don’t need to know why. I want you to have a testimony of walking by faith. If you knew why, you wouldn’t be walking by faith."
. . . Unless you’re willing to be broken. Unless you believe there’s no struggle God allows you to face that He won’t give you the strength to handle. Unless you want to cling to the Scriptures as if they’re your oxygen. Unless you desire to trust God more than you thought possible. Unless you’ll encourage others to worship and believe in God’s faithfulness in the midst of life’s darkest trials.
Maybe then you could handle Jeremy Camp’s life. Then you’d be able to watch humbly as your music career takes off. Then you would walk through your days with a deep thankfulness and understanding that eternity is all around us. Then you would know how far you’d come and truly appreciate being restored.
But don’t take our word for it.
Listen to Jeremy....by Jeremy V. Jones
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Click here for a video of the song above, 'I Still Believe'.
[I Still Believe] - Jeremy Camp, 'Stay'
Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
Seems I don't know where to start
But its now that I feel your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain
I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe
Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It's my heart I see you prepare
But its now, that I feel, your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain
I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe
Well the only place I can go is into your arms
Where I throw to you my feeble prayers well in brokeness
I can see that this was your will for me
Help me to know that you are near
I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe
I still believe
Ohhh, i still believe, i still believe
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