(Photo by Selma Komisky)

Worship in My Life

By Daniel Daugherty

When I told us this month’s article theme was going to be worship, I knew immediately what I was going to write about. I’ve talked about this story a couple of times in church and youth group, but never really wrote it down. Now, 3 years later, I’m writing it out for anyone to read.

For all my life, I grew up in church. I went to a youth group and was part of the worship team at school. But in 2018, I pretty much had fallen away. I wasn’t doing my devotions, praying, or being engaged by the church. I still went to youth and was part of the worship team, but I wasn’t acting like a Christian at all. I had friends who definitely were not good influences and kept pulling me away from God. Eventually, those friends left me hurt and in a really dark place. The day that it happened was the day before I was supposed to go to YC Alberta with my youth group.

If you aren’t Canadian, you probably don’t know what YC is. YC Alberta was one of, if not the biggest, Christian youth conferences in Canada. It happened over three days, filled with speakers, worship, and concerts by popular Christian artists. 2018 was my first time going, and I was excited about it. Or I should say, I was excited for TobyMac. I didn’t think too much of the speakers or the worship. We all got onto the bus and took the 10-hour drive to Edmonton, Alberta. The next day, the leaders took us to West Edmonton Mall for a day of shopping and roller coasters. While there, I saw a Christian bookstore that I felt like I should go into. I went in and ended up by a shirt with Psalm 46:10. I didn’t think too much of this until later.

The next day, we arrived at YC in Red Deer. The first day was great! There was a small worship concert at the beginning, then we all left to go to our separate talks. I went to ones about mission work and being an overcomer. After the talks, I went to the main building where artists were selling their merch and giving autographs. The artist giving autographs that day was Manafest, who I had been listening to for a while. Of course, I’d want to meet him! Luckily, the line was short, so I got there quickly. I bought a shirt and CD, then asked for an autograph. While signing my stuff, he asked me how long I had been a Christian. I wasn’t expecting him to ask but I said, “all my life,” in a very unconfident way. He smiled then wrote on the CD the verse Proverbs 24:16. I thanked him then left, again not thinking too much about it.

The day after was about the same. Worship, speaker, break into our talks and then come back that evening for worship and big concert. That worship service was quite different though. The band was Mosaic MSC, and they were singing their song “Tremble.” Halfway into the song, I just felt awful. I felt bad for not acting like a Christian. I closed my eyes and just said, “let’s try this again, God. I’m sorry for everything.” I rededicated myself back to God that night and felt so much better afterward. Not five minutes later, I heard a voice say, “One day you’ll be on that stage.”

I looked around and the voice didn’t come from anybody in my group or the rest of the YCers. I 110 percent believe that was God.

So what does all this have to do with worship? Remember that verse from the Psalms I mentioned earlier? It says, “be still and know that He is God.” That’s exactly what happened that night I came back to God. I gave it all to Him and knew who He was. Coincidence? I think not. And the verse that I was given by Manafest? It says, “the godly will fall seven times, but will get back up again.” After YC, that verse has impacted my life so much. It was part of my grad quote, I thought of it whenever something happened in my life that has tried to knock me down or turn me away from God. I’m even planning on tattooing it on my arm.

What I’m trying to say is this, worship impacted my life and can impact yours too. You just have to be still.