Standing on a long concrete bench away from the stage but elevated high and clear enough to see the whole band, I began to wonder about my purpose in life. In the middle of the concert, my introvert blues were rising.

Despite being a huge Switchfoot fan, I was supposed to be ticketless and a loner. But something inside urged me to simply ask Church Simplified. It was already a few days before the concert. Still, I knew that I would not lose anything. All I needed was to ask. Lo and behold, shirts were still available. I asked one of my best friends to come with me and she agreed. It also turned out that my church family, old and new, were there to share their love for the band as well.

Buying tickets is not for the sake of getting a good, up-close, and personal look of the band on stage. You can simply listen to their songs in the radio, in your music player, or even in the world wide web. Pictures, mp3s, and videos of the band are everywhere. You can even study the lyrics of their songs, dig deep, and sing your heart out in your own cave.

But you see, a Switchfoot concert isn't any ordinary rock concert. Truly, Jon, Chad, Drew, Jerome, and Tim have excellent skills in music and they mess up their playlists based on the crowd they play for. They connect to the audience and they carry their show from there. In every concert, they perform above and beyond what we can imagine. Each one is different is from the other. But amidst all of these, they are deeply grounded in their faith. God is present in their concert. I don't know about you but I see not only the band's excellence in music. I feel God in them. The way they connect to their fans before or after a concert is beyond real. They're truly the nicest musicians in the industry. If you open your eyes and let your ears hear, you will feel it too. The beautiful words that are embedded in their songs speak of a life worth fighting for. And this is why watching them live makes a whole lot difference. It is worth it to come out of your cave and see and listen to them live.


As I looked at the people who were going after Jon in the crowd, I pondered about how I live life when I step out of the amphitheatre and return to reality. Am I like the crowd who goes after a dream head on and filled with so much passion and joy? Or am I the one who watches a dream in a distance, stable, sure, and filled with the same passion and joy? Who I am I supposed to be?

I watched smiling at Jon and the crowd and pondering on the thought. Getting close to the members of the band is a dream come true. Typically, a huge fan would desire to be in their places. As for me, I didn't. It was definitely not because I've already met them twice in the past and talked to each one of them. But on that moment, it seemed as if seeing and hearing from afar was enough. It was not a superficial thing. I knew everything was all real. The dream was happening right there. And I was in joy. It was surprisingly a selfless act. How and when did my heart change? It's a mystery.

The songs will continue to speak to me about life for sure. I will continue to explore and find the answers to my questions despite the uncertainty. I choose to dive into the process of finding it out. I'll keep hoping and believing. Like what Jon said, "Hope is anchored on the other side." We don't stop living in this earth. Our lives don't stop midway. The other side lives and saves all, especially for those who believe.


Maybe all these questions arise from an unfinished situation that drives me to look for answers. Or maybe I was meant to be an answer to someone else's question. Whether I fail to make meaning or make sense of it all, I choose to thrive in this life.


The best part in thriving is that I am not on my own. Yes, the band and their songs are always there to speak words of hope. But it's also about sharing your life with people that the band has touched as well. It was actually in Switchfoot concerts wherein I let myself out. I was less fearful, more confident, and braver. I made friends with people whom I never intended to interact with. And most of their friendships are still in the present tense. I believe that when something great is shared between people, it has a bigger chance of lasting forever. The Friends of the Foot is one of those. We all have the same questions about living.


I think I will never know the real answers to my queries. But I did something that meant a lot to me tonight. Before the concert came to a complete halt, I finally decided to leave the concrete bench to come closer to the stage and join the fun. It was as if I was making a decision to leave everything behind and nail my doubts and fears on that Cross. Goodbye, Concrete Girl. It was time to come alive.

With the Truth living in me, there is a reason to come alive. I will thrive wherever and whenever I go. Whether in highs and lows, in shallow waters and depths, I will continue to sing along and land on shores I've never been before.


When I get there, I will find Hope. When I get there, I will find Life.

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13


Thank you for reigniting the fire in me, Switchfoot. I promise to continue dreaming and reaching forward.

'Til we meet again.