I have shared this viewpoint with some of you and from last night to this morning, the Lord has inspired me to share it with the rest. As my friend Thom tells me, “Eddie, since I was saved, every morning I would get into my car and before I turned the key I would pray and ask God what it was that He wanted me to do today in His name.”

Thank you for giving me the honor of your friendship and the humility of being able to share this with you.

Since December when I knew and decided that I needed Jesus Christ in my life, it has been a rocky, roller-coaster ride. I don’t particularly like those kind of rides. I can stand the sight of blood and open wounds, but rides… no way! Okay, ferris wheel, sure.

Anyhow, it wasn’t until mid March that I truly knew and felt the presence of our Lord within my soul. Many things have occurred and through the guidance of some close friends, I’ve been able to understand the nature of those things and their meaning.

When I decided to move to Nashville over a year and a half now, it was a move predicated on the ideas and discussions with a close friends.

The move was a move for “me”, a selfish move and desire of a material thing in this life of flesh. It wasn’t until I came to know and love Jesus that the true meaning of the move became to unfold. As it slowly unfolded, as all things come in His time, I (in my pea brain) began to cut through the clouds that the move wasn’t intended for me. It was intended to come to know Jesus, to come to break down and accept Him in my life. My lost ship at sea was finally rounding that large, intrusive, lonely island I thought was paradise to find myself perched on the pier of a true paradise and that is the world of Jesus.

Funny as I recall one late evening in an office in nearby downtown Miami, Florida that I sat down with my dearest of friends, Thom Mozloom and David Moran a man of God and a man full of wisdom and love of God as he leads a congregation of believers at Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church. The conversation back in November 2007 was a premonition of what I am feeling today.

The gist of the talk was “What if and when you move to Nashville, there is no record deal?” I really didn’t think of it that way. I was too selfish, confident and knew (or felt) that I was in control. As the Lord works in such great ways, the January 2009 afternoon when I sat down with Kyle Goen at LifePoint Church in Smyrna, TN those words came out from Kyle in almost verbatim fashion. Kyle and I discussed what the true meaning or purpose of me moving to Nashville was. Hmm, was it really to get that record deal and live a life of fame, money, success, CDs, touring?

Yea, the occasional gig and performance is awesome. I am honored to share another gift our Lord has given me. Just like the gift of being able to speak three languages, being able to do public relations/marketing, the gift of knowing how to “network”.

Ah, perhaps my eyes were too big for my stomach and the food I was to eat in the sense of a music career. A tremendous sacrifice was made for that move. But now I know the move was a sacrifice; a sacrifice of personal levels, a sacrifice of a career back in Florida, a sacrifice of leaving family and friends, a sacrifice of being so far from my baby girl. But fast-forward to May 2009, and the sacrifice has shown through the clouds and the murky waters of what is “living in the flesh” or “living in the moment”.

I am humbled to have fallen down, scraped my knees, countless nights of crying, wishing to not rise the next morning but the sacrifice was in His name. I needed to be broken down to the simplest levels to truly understand His desires, His task list for me, and His love. I remember when I was in ROTC in college and Army basic training was a pain. But it was to break me down and start anew; anew as a soldier in the US Army. To cleanse all the habits that would jeopardize my life and the lives of my fellow soldiers.

Well it is not too dissimilar as I now am in the army of God. Each day brings a new challenge both personal and with and for others. He often places people in my path to offer help or advice, in a two-way street fashion. I am blessed that He places the exact and correct words in my mouth, because I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own.

Just as I knew it was the Lord’s work for me to choose and step out in support of making English our official language. Yes, it is difficult for immigrants, especially older ones to learn the language. But I saw it as another task that God has given me. To be able to withstand the insults, the abandonment by those who were “so-called” friends in the Hispanic community. Accepting the task to preach that knowing English is the right thing to do was an easy choice knowing that Jesus was there to take the insults, arrows and harsh words for me.

Two months or so now, news came to me that is life changing. Through Facebook, I was approached by a 30-something year old guy who lives in Utah. His email to me was surprising. In it, he wrote that perhaps we were half-brothers. As one can imagine, I was like, “Dude, you are out of your cotton-picking mind”. My brother is Lou and sister is Bella and mom is Dee and dad is Lou-that’s it!

Well we exchanged emails and after 4 days, I learned that in fact Eddy, my half-brother was 100% correct. Asking my mom about the email, she came to confirm the details and news.

The Lord has blessed me with a new set of brothers and sisters, coming to know, meet and sit with my biological father, Eddy was scary but warmed my heart.

Thinking back on my previous life, I know that I would have been off the deep end, spouting out words of anger, bitterness and who knows what else. But I know that the endless list of tasks the Lord has in place for me, one was coming to know Him and embracing Him for the day that He chose to reveal the news of my biological father.

Through the Lord, I embraced the news and rather than be hateful or spiteful, I am so blessed to have a tremendous gift of more family from Jesus.

Now the Lord has given me a new task in His name. To host a radio show on WNAH Christian Talk Radio starting June 20th. I have no idea what to do, but resolve in knowing that alongside the mic will be Jesus showing where in scripture to read from, what to say to the listeners and how to conduct myself.

Thinking back on when I made the decision to move, I now realize how great He works and that He continues to make sacrifices for us. You see, I probably would not have moved and subsequently come to know Him if it weren’t for my selfish desire to seek a record deal with the gift of music He gave me. It was through that sacrifice (His sacrifice) that the Lord planted the seed of singing to get me to move and then for me to realize I needed Him in my life. Wow, that is amazing!

I took the bait and moved He knew that was the only way I would eventually come to embrace Him.

As I wrap up this piece, the trials and tribulations of the desire to move for a “deal” was not for a record deal or anything of material, it was to experience pain and sorrow so that I may truly turn to Jesus with an open and wounded heart. He has so wonderfully healed that heart and does so each and every day.

So, almost seven months after moving to Nashville, I know in my heart what the move, the sacrifices were for; it was for me to come to walk with Jesus Christ—Plain & Simple!

What a blessing in disguise.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Thanks,

Eddie V Garcia

Lifepoint Church in Smyna, Tennessee

 

---

 

Listen to Eddie V. Garcia Music: The Sacred Land

 

Listen to the Eddie V. Garcia Premier WNAH Christian Radio Broadcast

 

Listen to Eddie V. Garcia Music: I Will Rise

This is the mastered version of the song, “I Will Rise” recorded some weeks ago. It is a cover, English and Spanish of Chris Tomlin’s song.

Drums: Steve Wolfe
Bass: Rebekah Long
Guitar: Brian Smith
Vocals: Eddie V Garcia

Thanks to Crystal and Alan at SAE for giving us the chance to record at SAE and with award-winning producer David Leonard.

 

Please note: The above audio tracks are copyrighted material (© Eddie V. Garcia 2009) and are used here with permission of the author. The author has requested they not be used for any commercial purpose.

The URLs (links, hot links, etc.) to this page or these tracks may not be posted on, or to, any commercial web site, whether the web site or use of the tracks generate revenue or not. The URL (web address) of this page may not be published in any media format, without the personal written consent of the author; Eddie V. Garcia.

Share on Facebook

Posted: 07|8|09 at 3:28 pm. Filed under: Praise God!, Testimonies.
Comment | Trackback