My Hillsong Story is NOT My Story

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’ve recounted this story many many times. It’s a story I love talking about because God has taught me so many things through this experience—lessons on trusting His perfect timing, never giving up on dreams that He has planted in our hearts, and holding on to the truth that His ways are always higher than ours.

Today I’m in the mood to put together this little timeline!

(Click the image to zoom in.)

I never really made it to the Hillsong Conference

Looking at this timeline, you’ll notice that I never really made it to the Hillsong Conference at all. After my last attempt in  2009, I sort-of stopped trying. Not really because I gave up on the dream, it was mostly because God has planted new dreams in my heart. I was in New York in 2010, got married in 2011, gave birth to twins in 2012, landed a new job in 2013, and well, there really wasn’t any time (and budget!) to squeeze in Hillsong Conference the past 5 years.

My priorities shifted to easing into this new life with my husband and raising our little family. And although I still daydream about experiencing the Hillsong Conference, it’s one of those things I’ve set aside for later.

Still, this Hillsong story remains to be one of my “stones of remembrance”, something I always look back to, to reflect on what God has been doing in my life, or when I need to encourage a friend. 

One time, my husband and I had the opportunity to speak about Worship to young worshippers in church, and the Lord has impressed upon me to share my Hillsong story. This was the slideshow I used:

I think it’s pretty straightforward, through the slides, what we shared to the youth that day. If only to be able to teach others what the Lord taught me about “worship”, then my Hillsong story has already fulfilled its purpose. :)

Hillsong United in Manila 2014

Exciting things have started to happen these past years. God has been bringing Hillsong to the people’s reach. Three weeks ago, Joel Houston and Hillsong United (incidentally, a team from Sydney and New York) came to Manila for two jam-packed nights of worship.

And once again I’m deeply moved and awed by how massive Hillsong’s ministry is and how the Lord has used their songs, their conferences, and their church to bring the Gospel where it’s needed.

(Image credit: photos take by my friend Karen Pascual)

Needless to say, I was a puddle of mess and tears the. whole. night. No kidding. It’s easy to forget that the Hillsong team was there at all, really. Araneta Coliseum was a cup running over, and I’m certain that everyone in the room felt the Holy Spirit move.

You come to a Hillsong “concert” and the music is just really good, you know? You enjoy the music, you dance, you sing along, you raise your hands. It’s almost like a rock concert, and hey, why not? We all have our own favorite mainstream bands after all. And yet you’re fully aware that the songs are about God, and the people are not just dancing and singing and having the time of their lives.. they are worshiping. And that spells all the difference.

I’ve said this before and I want to say it again—although I knew that God’s work was massive, I knew in my heart that God was sending me a message that night that’s specifically, personally, especially just for me.

It’s that time of the year again

My IG and Twitter feeds are starting to flood with teasers and countdowns, reminding me that the Hillsong Conference 2014 is just a few days away. Add to that the excitement that’s been building up over the worldwide unveiling of No Other Name this July 1.

You know, maybe my timeline (up there) is not yet over. Maybe there’s a continuation of that someday, just not this year. Then again, maybe not. Maybe I will never make it to the Hillsong Conference, ever.

But you know what, it doesn’t matter. This Hillsong story has already changed me beyond I could ever think of or imagine. The Lord has already fulfilled His purpose, planting this dream in my heart, allowing these experiences to happen in this life of mine, and teaching me so many life lessons in the process. Lessons I love sharing to others, whenever I get the chance.

At the end of the day, my Hillsong story is not about me. It’s all about Him and how He taught this 20-year old fresh graduate to dream big dreams and to trust Him to make her dreams come true. It’s all about Him and His ability to make our dreams (no matter how big or how small) be used for His glory and purpose. It’s all about Him and the simple truth that

the journey is the true realization of our dreams. 

It’s all about Him, period.

Footnotes:

• May 2008: Hillsong Conference 2008 Yay! Got our conference passes that we never used.
• October 2008: Hillsong, Finally! I made it to the Hillsong Church, a regular service and a SisterHood night, not the conference.
• 2009: I Got My Hillsong Conference Passes. Frustrated, I ranted a little (okay, a lot) about how I was going to miss the 2009 conference again.
• 2010: Hillsong in Manila. Scored photographer passes for this one, so I did a photo blog.
• 2011: Chasing Dreams, Circa 2005. A recollection of my experiences, and what God taught me through the years.
• 2014: Where my Trust is Without Borders. This song is my anthem for 2014. As with most of you, I’m sure. ;)