When I learned that Hillsong United is doing a tour here in Lubbock, I was beyond thrilled and excited that I bought tickets right away!  Hillsong United is an Australian contemporary worship music band whose music greatly influenced my life as a young adult. I was a youth leader (Chapter Head) for CFC Youth for Christ that I even played bass guitar for our Music Ministry and we would play Hillsong United songs for our worship/praisefest.

My initial reason of buying the tickets is that it would be a gift for my boyfriend since he, too, is a huge fan of Hillsong United. The other reason is that I really want to see them. However, going to the Hillsong United Empires Tour was a wake up call for me for several reasons:

1. I have not been communicating with God – Being too occupied with school and work should not be an excused for not having a personal relationship with God through prayer. When I went to the concert (worship night), it made me realized that I have been forgetting to talk to God, to have a common prayer time alone anywhere.
2. It reminded me of those who are suffering – When the band shared photos and video clips of Syrian refugees (especially the children), I cried because it reminded me of one purpose I wrote in my journal and that is to help those who are in need, those who are poor, and those who are suffering.
3. Older folks can worship – I was in awe to see older people raising their hands, singing, crying, and simply praying to God. I was usually surrounded by young people every time we do worship that when I attended the concert, I realized that older folks can also worship too (even better)! It made me realize that I want to grow up like them who are not afraid to show their faith.
4. It reminded me to be grateful all the time – the songs sang in the concert reminded me of how fortunate I am to be alive, to be breathing and simply living this beautiful life. It reminded me that I can make a difference in this world by being good and doing good things to others. It reminded me of how small my problems are compared to real issues that are currently happening in our world.

Going to the Empires Tour was definitely one of the best nights in my life and I hope I was able to inspire you as I shared with you what I have experienced.

Featured image: @HillsongUnited (Twitter)