Chad, being a crazy-talented artist/musician/crafter himself was glued to this kid's mad abilities. As a kid, he would just sing, LOUD...and with so much beauty and charisma that people would just stop what they were doing and just take him in. I think the movie said he can play 7 instruments and until he was in the middle of his first album, hadn't received ANY vocal coaching whatsoever?!? Whoa. No matter where you fall on the side of Bieber-fever...there's NO mistake, this kid has skillz!
But the thing that had me enamored and glued into the movie wasn't the Bieb. Sure, he's cute, got great hair, adorable personality, etc...but I was keyed into all of his fans. This teenage boy has filled more stadiums, amphitheaters and concert halls than any his age before him. And by 'filled' I mean...FULL of screaming, shouting, crying...SOBBING little girls who are convinced that HE is the one who will make all of their dreams come true! Even the creepy ones who know a bit too much about him to be considered 'normal trivia' or those who swear that they'll marry him someday...are head over heels, madly passionate about this boy and the 'love' that he sings about in his songs.
My heart was breaking.
Let me just hit pause on Justin for a minute and take you back to Amy, circa 1990. You know what's next....NKOTB baby! That's right...I was one of those crazy girls who had posters plastered over every inch of my room, t-shirts, pillows, blankets and every single cassette tape they released (be sure to google what a cassette tape is if you're under the age of 30 reading this post!) My parents, bless their souls, got my sisters and I tickets to see them in concert one year for Christmas. I LITERALLY thought my whole life would change that night! I screamed, cried, and waited....for Danny to catch a glimpse of my face...and whisk me away off to our happily ever after. I just knew that as soon as he saw me, he'd feel the same intensity for me as I had for him...and the rest would be history. I was 10.
As I watched those girls screaming, with tears streaming down their faces as they sang along to every word of every song he sang...I literally felt that twinge in my heart again. I could actually feel that same longing, that same passionate emotion...so full that I literally thought I might explode...all over again.
And then it hit me. We were made for this. We were literally knit together by a Love so crazy, so passionate, so insanely intense that we simply CANNOT settle for anything less!! We are programmed to pursue it. We spend every waking moment of our lives looking for it...sometimes in people, sometimes in things, relationships, reputations..you name it! Sadly though, the objects of our affections often times leave us wounded, empty and alone...still wanting, still longing still passionately in pursuit...of something--most of the time we aren't even sure of what.
The intensity with which those sweet, precious (even creepy!) girls have is good..it's right..it's pure. Yep, that's right...we are all made to find a safe place for our hearts, a home for the love that's within us all. It's the object on which they are hanging every hope in their hearts, every dream of their own happily ever afters that misses the mark. Justin Bieber is a cute, talented boy. But he won't fill the longing that those girls are reaching for. He won't even come close!
Only a Love so perfect, pure, unfailing, never-ending/never-changing and HOLY can give our hearts the safe place of fullness, abounding joy and passion that we so desperately search for! And only the person of Jesus can bring us such a Love. We were made for it. We were made by it. It's good!
What I wouldn't give to have known then, when my heart was being broken, wounded and given away to those who didn't know how to handle it...just where it would be safe. Moms and Dads...tell your girls Who to give their hearts away to. Tell them (over and over and over) where their hearts can find the resting place, the safety the unspeakable JOY and perfect Love that they are so desperately looking for! Affirm them for their passion and over-flowing hearts of emotion...and point them to the strong, safe arms of Christ where that passion finds it's fullness! Remember...He never grows weary! Even with teenage emotions ;)
I'm not sure when my daughter will catch the 'fever..' but I can't wait to watch her run into the open arms of her heart's greatest Desire! And I hope that she learns by watching me...
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