Living in Light was recently asked to feature as a Raw Artist in an independent showcase. Exciting stuff right? In fact the whole vibe of the organisation putting on the gig was definitely attractive to me and it was very cool to be part of this independent artists movement. But by the time the actual EXPLOSION event took place in London's Fashionable but pretty grimey Brick Lane, if truth be told I couldn't wait to get the whole thing over and done with...eek! See because this showcase came at a pretty challenging time for me. I was literally drowning in online orders without a moment to even respond to emails, eat, sleep properly or generally even function...I was kinda chained to my sewing machine as I tried to stay on top of the demand for the new Fusion Collection which pretty much sold out after one month! Definitely yay, but also tres intense!! Plus lots of other things really important things were also happening along side all this which required my total attention and stuff that I simply couldn't afford to wing it with. So here I was literally counting down the hours to when Raw would be over and I could focus on my next deadline!

I definitely struggled to carve time out to spend with God during this crazy season - 6 weeks of whirlwind madness that knocked me out!! Yet I felt His grace like crazy. I knew He was there the whole time. Every time I did steal away moments in His presence He showed up like a tsunami wave of love and strength. As beautiful as that was I felt like I was running on spiritual reserves for sure. Yet on the morning of the show I was determined to spend more than a few moments with Him. I was acutely aware of my inability to make an impact, change the atmosphere or touch a single life...without the love and leading of God. As I prayed for the RAW event happening later that evening I began to ask God to show me His heart for Brick Lane...for the people at the showcase and asking for Living in Light be a conduit for heaven.

And as God responded, I felt His heart kind of explode with love for Brick Lane. I lay on my face in complete awe. The intensity of His tender compassion began to fill my entire bedroom as God unveiled His deep desire for the people that would come to the event...and His heart for that particular Geographical location...this run down yet nouveau trendy East London area, teeming with lost souls...who mulling around the dark, dimly lit, cosmopolitan bars and restaurants...scouting for punters outside the curry houses...filling studios as aspiring creatives...begging for handouts at passers by...were all in need of a touch from heaven. And that's exactly what God wanted to do...I felt Him say that tonight He would touch Brick Lane. That this day was in His heavenly calendar. He had orchestrated this. He would use this event to release His RAW GLORY over Brick Lane. He showed me afresh that we His children are His vessels...like literally jars of clay...that He positions us every day, every where so that He can shine His Light through our lives...our fragilities and flaws...gifts...talents and personalities. We just have to be where He wants us to be...confidently being ourselves...assured in the one to whom we belong, Who lives on the inside of us...and He will do the rest...because totally being His...is being ourselves - being who God has called us to be is what gives God the space to show up and break out...and begin to simply touch lives in an atmosphere that His children have chosen to take possession of by simply being there.

And that's exactly what He did. As we spent the whole day getting ready, hair, make up...run way rehearsals...working with the event team, hair stylists, make up artists and the other designers and models - there was something distinctly different about us. It was undeniable. We carried the aroma of Christ. The unsaved models we worked with knew we were not like anyone they had met before. As we stood and prayed backstage preparing for the runway, amongst all the other fashion labels, it was as clear as day that we were walking in a peace, joy and love that often eluded the fashion industry. We knew we were there to release the love, light and Liberty of heaven over the atmosphere and it wasn't so much in what we did, but what we carried.

When Living in Light came onto the runway God totally smashed it - the joy, light and vibrancy that radiated from the collection as each piece sashayed down the catwalk was actually tangible - it literally lit up the place. The models shined brightly! Gods words came back to me - He would touch Brick Lane and bring Light into the darkness! It was so heart enlarging and properly humbling to think that God can use us just being us...He can use the things that we love to do...our passions and gifts to touch the world without us saying a single word...simple by us just being His...and therefore being ourselves. What I love about it too is that I can't take any of the credit!! Yay...I can't boast...I can't steal God's glory! Cause I was far to busy to do anything to prepare for this event. I didn't fast or hardcore pray into it, and I didn't even want to go through the hassle of the event because I had too much work to do. I literally just wanted to get the day over and done with. Other than make the clothes I did squat!! And even the gifting and skill in making the clothes comes from Him. I literally feel that all I did that day was show up. That's soooo encouraging right?

And it wasn't just me showing up either - to have so many friends and family coming to support was soooo beautiful...crazy mad encouraging. I felt that as I was a torch bearer for Christ on the runway my kingdom family were in the space just being who they are...just carrying Christ and changing the atmosphere and as they championed Living in Light that night, God used them to be vessels of light in Brick Lane. I truly believe that as Christians we have been saved, set apart and totally transformed to now go into the dark places and simply by being there, dispelling darkness. And although this may include words and actions and sometimes potent gorgeous evangelism...often it's simply just our presence...emanating the RAW glory of the One we carry:

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9-10‬ MSG)

And it's not something that I saw happen only with Living in Light that incredible night last month. I'm getting more and more of an insight of what it means to be spiritual beings here on earth everywhere I look. I saw it full wack last weekend at I watched Eska perform at her new album launch in the cool, urban, yet dark hot spot of Shoreditch. As 500 captivated fans hung on to her every word...gesture...her every movement...filled with starry eyed adulation, they were in love with this child of God...simply not aware that the songs she sings, are about Jesus...that the object of her affection and adoration is in fact God...and that at the core of her art she is not merely a musician but a Psalmist. Yet the RAW glory of God doesn't become any less powerful because she doesn't reveal these truths. Just because she doesn't mention God it doesn't mean He can't show up. On the contrary, simply by virtue of who Eska is to God He shows up before any one else. The Spirit of God hovers and meanders throw the crowd, releasing love and light...He touches hearts and kisses foreheads...He draws hearts...breaks chains...heals wounds...not because Eska has spoken of who He is but instead she has let who she is IN HIM demonstrate the God she worships.

Eska's Self Titles Album, out now. Http://eskaworld.com

And that what is the most freeing, gracious, glorious part of all this. It's not hard. We just have to be ourselves. This obviously does mean hanging out with Jesus a LOT though...a heck of a LOT...because only around Him...only around the beauty, truth and presence of God can we tap into who we really are...what our true identity is...only then do we have anything to offer the lost any way. They ain't gonna be changed by our flesh that's for sho! And only as we grow and walk in our true identity as God's sons and daughters can people lives around us be changed...can atmospheres around us be shifted...

This is what God is waiting for. This is what all creation is thirsting for. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬ NIV). As we understand more and more of what it means to be a child of God...to fellowship with a God as His kids...to walk in the personality...gifts...talents and ultimately the identity that we have as His family then wherever we go, whatever we do...His RAW glory will explode...by us simply being ourselves.