Authors Note:

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these but, it’s time for a series! Over the next few weeks, I will be releasing a series of posts called “For the Record.” This series is all about what I have learned through the hobby of collecting vinyl records. I believe this series is going to show us how much we can learn from our seemingly random expriences and chance encounters. I hope you’ll lean in as we explore these stories and look for where God whispers in the moments. Without further ado, here is “The Thrill of the Hunt,” part 1 of “For the Record.”

The Thrill of the Hunt

I know this is an incredibly “hipster” thing to do but I have fallen in love with the sound, the experience, and the overall “vibe” of listening to music on vinyl. When it comes to music in general, I am not picky. I will listen to just about anything and find something I enjoy about it. I listen to pop, country, movie soundtracks, rap and hip hop, and I am listening to classical music as I write this post. However, when it comes to vinyls, I am much more selective with what I will put on the table. There are a few reasons for this and thats a post for another day, stick around, we’ll get there. Because of this level of selectivity, I typically have a running list of albums I am on the hunt for. These are typically rare albums that are in high demand or obscure albums that didn’t get pressed in high volumes. Currently, the item at the top of my “want list,” is ‘Georgica Pond,” my favorite album by one of my favorite bands, Johnnyswim.

In search of this album I have searched eBay, Amazon, Discogs, Records Direct, and any local record shop I can find. Recently, I went into a shop that sells new and used albums. This shop has thousands of records and NO. SYSTEM. OF. ORGANIZATION. If you want to find something specific, you have to look at EVERY. SINGLE. ALBUM. I was there for hours and bought two new albums. Neither of which were ‘Georgica Pond.’

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I went on a roadtrip to check out a potential summer camp for some of our students. On the way home, we stopped in Bentonville, Arkansas for a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop. Next door to this shop was a record store. I had to go in. Of course I dug through every album in hopes of finding my unicorn, my white whale, ‘Georgica Pond.’ Guess what? I did not find it. It wasn’t there. But like the previous experience, I bought two new albums before heading into the coffee shop.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, first of all, I hope one of you dear readers has ‘Georgica Pond’ on vinyl and wants to give it to me. (Just kidding… no I’m not.) But the more important reason is because I learned in that shop that even though my hunt for ‘Georgica Pond’ has not yet led me to my desired outcome, it has led me to some pretty great treasures along the way. I have found key pieces of my album collection in search of what I consider to be my ultimate goal*. I would not have these amazing albums if I wasn’t on a search for something else.

Whether we’re talking about records or purpose, we’re all on a search for something. We’re all a work in progress trying to achieve our ultimate goals. I know from personal experience that not achieving those goals each time we set out can be frustrating. But I also know that I have learned some incredible lesson and built some foundational relationships through the search and through the process.

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We’ve all got big dreams and big goals that God has placed in our hearts. Those dreams and goals are not there for nothing. They are there because the world needs what you have. The world needs what each of us has and the world needs us to honor the process so that we can share what we have in God’s timing and in His way. Scripture tells us that “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Phil. 1:6). If I am being honest, this is an encouraging and infuriating verse all at the same time. I don’t want to wait for things. I want it now. I want results now, I want my dreams now, and I want ‘Georgica Pond’ now. I don’t want to endure the pain of the process and I certainly don’t want to wait until Jesus comes back for all of this to take place. But that’s a part of the process that I am learning to embrace.

What treasure have you found while pursuing something else? Is it a relationship, a skill, an experience, or a memory that would have passed you by? Take the time to be thankful for the treasure we find on the hunt and in the process. I truly hope that one day I find a vinyl of ‘Georgica Pond.’ But until I do, I will thank God for the lesson I learned in that Arkansas record shop and enjoy the treasures I find along the way.

*I mean my ultimate goal of my record collection, not my “ULTIMATE GOAL.” As much as I love Johnnyswim and this particular album, that would be a sad ultimate goal.

*This post is part of a series of posts called “For the Record.” This series is all about what I have learned through the hobby of collecting vinyl records. “For the Record” captures the heart of what the “This Awesome Life” blog and podcast is all about; hearing God speak through everyday moments. Use the links below to read the other posts in this series:

Part 2: Going All In.
Part 3: No Skips
Part 4: No Turning Back
Part 5: Weight for It
Part 6: Setting the Record Straight

*Years ago, I wrote another series called, “How to Pretend You’re From New York.” It was a fun series about an anniversary trip my wife and I took. If you want to check it out, here’s a link to “Part 1: Tourist Traps and Chain Resturants.”