Only Imagine...

During my time in Orlando, there were a few months (maybe even several? – or maybe it just felt that way:) ) when one of my friends, Craig, was working on editing a music video using the then-popular, “I Can Only Imagine,” by Mercy Me.

At that time we both would get to work pretty early. He’d edit in the production room with the door open and he’d have the volume up loud.

There are various stages of love / hate with production music I think. When you find just the right music … love it. As you’re starting to work with it … love it. When you find just the right footage to go at just the right spots … love it. When you have played it – or more phrases of it -- over and over and over and over again … hate it. Okay, maybe it’s not HATE, but you definitely could probably go without ever hearing it again.

After hearing it millions of times over, Craig did a beautiful job with that piece.

Today, I got to watch it with about 200, 18-25 year olds… in South Asia!!

I wasn’t actually in the meeting room when I heard the first opening notes. I was walking towards the cooking area when I heard the first three notes. Immediately I thought … it’s “Only Imagine!” I turned around, ran up the stairs, walked into the room, saw the cloud graphics… and got chills. There was just something about seeing a room full of young people in this country watching a video that was done by one of my friends – clear on the other side of the world. Who knows how God may have or will use that short piece to inspire something new in one of those young students' lives.

As I watched it, it made me think to my days back in Orlando and how grateful I am to have had that time there – and for all the people who were a part of that experience. And, for making my present experiences possible through their example and encouragement… among many other things.