Turns out just one thing really:
with God all things are possible.
We’ve all seen *THOSE* music videos, haven’t we? The ones where the artist looks sombre, almost forlorn, gazing off into the distance as they sit on the ground (why is it always the ground?!) somewhere that could easily be their back garden. We couldn’t be blamed for thinking the whole thing probably took them and a friend an hour, and cost next to nothing.
That was nothing like the picture that landed in my head as I heard the final cut of Journey On for the first time.
The energetic, summery track lost nothing of its uplifting magic through my cheap earphones as I sat hunched over my laptop on the coffee shop table, where I’d spent most of the afternoon. A deluge of ideas crashed one after the other like waves; each one was a short snippet of imaginary video, each one different to the last, and they were coming in so fast they were spilling over each other and my furious fingers couldn’t keep up.
I saw beaches bathed in summer sun, and a breezy, shaded river bank where a young girl cartwheels happily. In the same instant, I saw a boy trying fervently to master riding a bike, urged on by an earnest parent, and a beautifully decorated church where a bride and groom are exchanging wedding vows. I saw a birds-eye shot of a convertible car streaking through lush green countryside, and at the same time a young couple grinning as they proudly hold up a sonogram. An exhausted marathon runner almost manages a feeble smile as he lands a definitive foot over the finish line, where euphoric family members proffer towels and water and tear-filled hugs.
Through it all, the little car weaved a thread of continuity across a sun-basked road in English countryside. It was a story of journeys.
As the flood of ideas finally subsided and I rounded off the hasty jumble of half-sentences and semi-thoughts, it began to dawn on me that I’d been imagining a Hollywood-scale video. The fuel costs getting to all these many and varied locations alone would amount to hundreds, before I even thought about cameras and drones and a filmographer skilled enough to carry it all out. A chuckle of disbelief caught me off-guard. Could I even begin to dream that any of this could be possible?
Flashback to two weeks ago. We’d just finished recording Journey On, and boss-man Andy Baker challenged me quite strongly to think bigger and aim higher with my music. It was very uncomfortable advice. How do I remain Least, whilst also avoiding the pride of self-doubt and false humility? God has told me in no uncertain terms that He has equipped me for this ministry, that He will be with me through it all, and that it will be bigger than anything I could imagine for myself. So what reason do I have to hold back, if I really take myself out of the equation?
So that’s why I found myself in the Brecon Beacons national park on Saturday 19th May in a 16-year-old MG TF convertible!
To my amazement (and in many cases, a lot of organising) over the next month God provided:
- Not one, but two convertibles in ‘camera-friendly’ colours – free of charge
- Not one, but two exceptional camera operators
- A beach location and a beautiful driving location
- Availability for all the crew, cars and special guest star on the same day
- Perfect sunny weather throughout the filming day
- Incredible supporters who donated to make it possible
Then it got even more amazing.
In just 2 weeks, the music video crowdfunding page reached 44%. Then 61%. Then 75%.
Today it’s at 96% (and I’ve had to update that number twice)!
The journey’s not over yet, but I feel more confident than ever that God is encouraging me to dream BIG. That’s not to say that the smaller things are insignificant, or that everything needs measuring in numbers and statistics and reach – far from it (Dream Small by Josh Wilson is a fabulous example of what I mean here). But I believe that through the music video project so far I’ve been challenged to be daring, adventurous, creative and bold – and God has blessed it so much.
Wanna Journey On with us?
Your support would be totally amazing!
There’s still opportunities to get involved with the film, including one more spot for an extra if you fancy it!
There’s also loads of other options for smaller budgets, including signed CDs, your name in the credits and a chance to come over and watch the film for the first time at special viewing party. 🙂
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Thank you! I can’t wait to show you the final cut (and a few behind-the-scenes adventures in Part 2)!
