A Love Story 3 Years In The Making With Taya

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Transcription:

TAYA: Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. That is my greatest desire in life, to see God. Because if I see him, everything else that doesn’t matter fades. When I see him, everything that really matters will come into focus. If I am seeing him, then I’m just by being in proximity, I’m going to become more like him, which will be way better for my husband and my friends and my family.

Sarah Taylor: That’s Taya, our featured guests today on the Passion Meets Purpose podcast. But wait, there is more. She is currently doing a radio promotional tour, which means her husband, Ben, is here with her, as well as Elizabeth from Capitol CMG, which is Taya’s record label. I want you to do the honors of introducing her today.

Elizabeth: Yeah, it has been such an honor. I mean I have listened to her voice for such a long time as a listener, as a part of her label. I was telling her on our first leg, there was a season in, I think, 2019, where Not Today was the song I started my day with every single day. I’d be in hotel rooms all across the country, and I would just blast that song just to get ready for the day. It’s been awesome to watch you share your gift, Taya, and just even more of a personal way with the things that the Lord’s put on your heart to share as a solo artist. So, I think one thing I have learned is that these guys are the absolute real deal.

And that’s always, you know, anytime you watch somebody love the Lord from afar. When you get up close, you want that to be true, there as well. And I have just seen, I mean, we have spent some road trip time. Okay. I feel like I have the authority. It’s not the 10,000 hours expert thing, but like I do have some credibility in saying that.

Sarah Taylor: Well then, for mostly it’s for someone that might not be familiar or just finding us through this podcast, why don’t you go ahead and introduce to you the way that you did?

Elizabeth: Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yes. So, if you don’t know Taya’s name or face, you will know her voice through the song oceans is probably the biggest way.

There are other songs, like not today. It’s the one I referenced a minute ago. And so will I, the version from Hillsong Worship, her voice has just been all over the Hillsong United, Hillsong Worship brands for the last several years. So, since 2013, yeah.

Sarah Taylor: Well, welcome Taya. And Ben, feel free to interject at any time. I love that we have both of you here. Since your husband’s here, do you want to go ahead and tell us the story of how you guys met, and then Ben, if she says anything that you want to like,

Ben: Don’t, don’t worry. I’ll be stepping in. I’ll be monitoring this.

TAYA: Well, what I fondly referred to Ben as, he is the kindness of God in physical form in my life. He’s definitely the better part of the, both of us. God’s gift to me truly. We went on a date. This is many, many years ago. We’ve been married for four years now, and we went on a date and then I finished that date and we had good conversation. You know, and we have similar upbringings, both grew up in Christian homes together, very strict parents. Like there’s a lot of things that will keep the same, I’m sure, when we step into that next season of having kids. And we had great conversation, but then I finished the date and I said, okay, you know, I never want to lead anybody on. I want to be honest. And so I texted him later. I said, Hey, thanks so much, but I actually have feelings for my ex-boyfriend. And so I think I need to just pursue that., you know, in my mind, I thought that meant like I’m going to marry that person. Like I’m going to be heading in that direction. And then Ben just, you know, full of wisdom full of peace is just super calm. And he goes, yeah, he’s like, I understand that. I had to walk that out with my ex, and I had to walk out of that, you know?

And so, I was like, thinking, oh my gosh, what an idiot. Like I’m not going to walk out of this thing. Like that’s who I’m going to end up with, you know? That’s great. Thank you. And so anyway, he was wiser than perhaps what I was. And so, then three years go by. And Ben was present, but he wasn’t you know, he would just be at church, and he would just be at this service, and he would just happen to be where I was. And it wasn’t this, you know, overpowering, like I’m here, like bruh, you know, but he was just present and…

Ben: She’s making this sound easy, but it wasn’t. It was three grueling years. And we went on a, a couple of dates during those three years…

TAYA: which I said they were just dinners where we were just friends. And I said, I’m paying, this is not a date.

Ben: It’s a date. A guy and a girl going to dinner. That’s a date in my eyes. In everybody’s eyes. That’s a date, but for Tanya, that was just two friends.

TAYA: Just friends, just catching up for me to tell you that we’re just friends, and we just had great conversation. But the wild thing was, my friends during this time, you know, I had actually been single for about five years, you know, two years before that.

And you know, the, the three years after that, and I’d been single on the outside, but in my heart, not, not so, and I felt like I struggled to let go of a few different things. During that period of time, I shaved my head, and it was an outward expression of what God was doing on the inside, in that moment.

I wasn’t to be ruled by people’s opinions and it was kind of you know, just before I did it, I wondered what people would think. And I felt like the holy spirit say, Hey, you aren’t rule by, people’s what they think of you. So you need to do this even more. And I did it and it was this new, amazing freedom.

And this new, I was walking in a different stride, and I didn’t, you know, I was like, we get one shot at this. We don’t know how long we get here on the earth. Let’s just go for it, you know, and just watch what God will do. And till he calls us home. And so yeah, you go, you’re going to drop. Yeah.

Ben: I was just going to say how, while God was working in Taya during that time, I didn’t realize that God wanted to work in me as well. So, that three years was actually God working in both of us. And I thought I’d trusted God and, in my life, and, and everything that I was going through in my dreams and plans, but when, you know, I wanted to date Taya and be with Taya, but it wasn’t happening, but I really felt God had spoken to me about Taya.

So, God was teaching me to really trust in him and not trust in what I was seeing in front of me, which was nothing’s happening in this relationship at all. But I really felt I heard from God. So, I, I yeah, God was taking me through a season of, of completely and utterly trusting in him, which I didn’t realize I had to go through that. So yeah, it was, it was a crazy time.

TAYA: I mean, he would never say it cause he’s humble, but I’ll, you know, do the, do the brag on my husband. This is the person that I’m married that in that time, he got woken up one night. I felt his, yeah, it’s like a Samuel type story, he heard his name called you ran to your housemate’s room thinking…

Ben: Yeah. I’ll, I’ll tell it quickly. I don’t tell many people, but I, I after our first date at the start of the three years, I felt I had heard from God. I felt he, felt someone calling my name when I was asleep. So, I woke up and I thought it was my roommate. So, I just sat up in bed. Didn’t see him at my door or anything. Went back to sleep.

Heard my name again, like really distinct, as clear as anything. Sat up again. Couldn’t see my roommate. Went back to sleep and then a third time heard my name. So, I’d got up and actually went to his room, opened the door and he was sound asleep. So, I thought something, something’s going on here. I think God’s speaking to me.

So I went back into my room, got on my knees and prayed and said, God, you know, your servant is here, speak. I’m listening. And I felt, God say that Taya is your wife. She’s going to be your wife. And I think that’s, I don’t know if it’s just for guys, but that’s like a dream for anyone to hear God say this is going to be your partner.

And so that was great for about three months, but because nothing was happening and Taya was, she was barring me. She was rejecting me. Let’s be honest. I, that, that word lasted for about three months. And then I was like, I started to doubt what I heard. And I started to doubt God, because I was like, I heard from you, but nothing is happening. And that’s what I was alluding to before, which was trusting God, in a way that I’d never ever experienced before, which was trusting in him, not in what I’m seeing here on earth. So yeah, it was a process.

TAYA: And so the wild thing was is that in that season of singleness, my friends had been praying for me, which thank you, Jesus, for friends who keep you accountable, who love you, will call out the God thing, and also call out the bad stuff as well, because they love you enough, you know? What is that Bible verse? True or the wounds of a friend in a S in a sweet way, you know? So, I had friends praying for me and they’re like, we want it to be a quick work. Like we’re, you know, and I I’m like, whoa, I have not made a successful, you know, choice. You know, I had, you know, I’ve, I only had two boyfriends before that.

And I was like, I didn’t make, you know, they’re awesome. They’re legends, but they’re not my legend. That’s what I used to say, found my legend. Thank you, Jesus. And so I was just like, please don’t pray that. I want, I think I need three years to watch someone in the good seasons in the tough seasons. I want to see them angry, sad, the whole deal to know what I’m actually getting myself into.

And the wild thing was, is that this whole time I felt like I had, now I can describe it as I had blinders on when I was looking at Ben, because my friend would say, Hey, do you? And he will not like this part, but you can’t see him blushing. So, it’s okay. She says, do you find Ben attractive? And I said, listen, he’s got nice colored eyes and that’s it. And she goes like nothing at all. And I was like, no, nothing. She’s like, Hey, okay. You know, and obviously she’s started praying for me cause she’s like, she’s blind, she’s blind. He’s very handsome. And so, anyway, it was God letting me have the three years, not in the way that I expected. It was up close, but not in a relationship, and I wasn’t blinded by romantic feelings or anything like that. And I saw Ben’s character the whole time. Obviously, like I knew. You know, where he was kind of at not completely didn’t know, God spoke to him and all that kind of stuff. But I got to see his character throughout that whole entire time.

When we, you know, we had our second date and it was, it was kind of over like a weekend. Like, you know, I randomly rucked up at a football game and then he found out I was there. So, then he rocked up because. He was, you know…

Ben: That, that’s what I was doing. For three years in a non-stalker-ish, noninvasive way.

TAYA: He was just present. And then he just, you know, he didn’t have any faith. The fact that I would reciprocate or anything. Cause again, this is three long years, you know, in the desert, in the abyss for him. And he said, Hey, like he texted me after the game. He said, Hey, if I’m still around in the city, which was actually a lie, he’d already started the long drive back, which is like an hour away for him. He said, I’m still in the city. If you want to grab. And I randomly like up until this point, you know, I’d shaved my head. I kind of stepped into this new space and I finally felt like I was open. Like I had not been before. And I said to my, and my friends were like, you better tell Ben because he is not gonna, you know, he’s not going to hang around for, you know, it’s been three years.

They are like, and I said, I never want to ever question if I made this happen. So, I’m actually not going to text him. And I said, holy spirit, if this is the person that you have for me, Then you’re going to have to either conjure up a situation, circumstance, or a conversation or something, and I, I give it to you.

And it was a couple of months went by and I got a little bit nervous. Cause I started to realize Ben is actually a good man. He’s full of character and he loves you, god. Did I miss? But I’m going to trust you. And so, anyway, lo and behold, we happened to see each other, you know, at this football game. And then he texts me and then I just happened off the cuff. I was like, you know what, I’m leaving tomorrow. It was a Saturday night. I said, I need to spend time prepping. I need to pick up an outfit because I just don’t want to be thinking about anything when I’m leading, I want to be fully free. So, I’m just got to do all that stuff. So, my sisters are at a house. So, bring sushi. You have an hour. Done. And so, then this poor guy, is like, what, like, you know, wow. Chance of a lifetime, like turns back around. Like speeds, gets the sushi…

Ben: And, all that I knew, it wasn’t going to be an hour. I was happy to take longer than an hour.

TAYA: And so, then three hours later, you know, I’m just like, oh, my lids are like, I need to prep for church. I need to pick out an outfit. And he’s like, oh wow, that’s crazy. The time has just flown by. And it’s as, as like I’m walking him out, he’s like, we need to go surfing. Cause Ben’s a surfer. And he’s like, we need to go surfing sometime. And I grew up around the beach. I love it, but I’d never really surfed or anything. And I was like, I’d love that. And I was like, actually, we didn’t have any services tomorrow night because it’s father’s day in Australia, and I cannot believe I even was saying that. He goes, perfect. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. After church, don’t even worry. You take your time. I’ll drive down, drive you back up. Drive back to like, it was just crazy to. In the end, the following day, we have what we would consider to be like, you know, the second day, three years later, he takes me surfing, and it would have looked like two boys sharing one surfboard because I had shorter hair than him, and I was on my best friend’s couch the following night because Ben was good. And I felt like I got this massive revelation that God’s good. And by the way, he describes when he was creating the world, after every time that he created something, he said, And it’s good. When God says something’s good, it is better than our most excellent best way.

And so, it was just this crazy moment. And when we were surfing, I went in a little bit early and I said, you know, cause I didn’t actually know if Ben could surf really well. So, not that it matters, but I said, you know what? You just catch a wave for me. Hang, you know, hang a 10, which is when you hang your toes over, which is very difficult to do. So, if you’re a good stuff, you can do some form of that. So anyway, he’s like, you sure? I was like, yay. So I’m sitting on the beach and it’s so weird. I actually took on his phone that it had my phone with me. I took three photos and it, and it’s funny cause I have them today of that initial moment. He caught wave. He hung five of his toes over at the front. I was like, oh, okay. He’s a very good surfer. I love that. Then he comes up the beach and again, this is another moment that he won’t love. But that is when the blinders, I feel like the holy spirit removed all the blinders. When I was 16, I prayed a prayer. I knew that my husband would love Jesus, so that wasn’t even in the equation,

I said, this is so silly 16, I said, I would like a surfer who can. Who has a triangle back, cause he’s a surfer, and has light colored eyes? And when Ben walked up the beach, the blinders came off and I was literally just like, oh Mylanta… Very handsome. And then he was smiling at me. And then I like kind of turned around, like, just to make sure, like, is he looking at me or is there someone else on the beach? And there was nobody else there. And I was in from that moment. And so, then it was all under six months when we started dating, you know, a week later. We dated engaged, married, all under six months and it’s been four years. It’s been the best.

Sarah Taylor: The moment she describes, did you feel it too? Did you feel like her blinders went off as you were walking toward her?

Ben: Not in that moment, but that date, that time we were surfing, I felt something had changed. Yeah. I guess something had lifted. Yeah. That something had broken off that was, it was holding her back. But yeah, that actual moment, it was very embarrassing for me when she keeps telling people that.

Sarah Taylor: What was it like for you after three grueling years to actually watch that word when your name was called, come to pass? Like, did you. Did it take a moment for you to trust it again?

Ben: Yeah, it, it did it. I, I continued to doubt it, which was wrong and, and I was sort of waiting for, for Taya to sort of call it off and go, no, this is just this isn’t working. This isn’t going to happen, because I’d experienced that for so long.

But yeah, it was just a constant reminder, keep trusting God. Don’t trust in what you’re seeing here. Don’t trust in your own ability, trust in God. And so, it’s something that, you know, I can hang my hat on forever now. Always remember that God brought me through that season through that time and it wasn’t what I did. Wasn’t what Taya did. It was, it was God, it was him being faithful. And I would just, yeah, never, ever forget.

Sarah Taylor: The church you guys got married in is featured in your new music video, for all my life. For your project that is going to be out by the time this podcast releases, so, congratulations on the album that just released.

I love that in the video for your song, you not only went back to that church where you’re singing, but you also were back where you wrote some of your first music.

TAYA: Yes. When I was 17, that was in the very room that I started writing in. And it was surreal that essentially seven years since I had put down the pen, I picked it up again. I actually I didn’t tell you this before, but at the end of 2019, I knew that the season was coming. We had set aside the first six months of 2020 to write the Taya project. And I actually asked for a week off to go back home to sit in that room and to, you know, it’s such a daunting thing, like an empty canvas and how to pick up the pen again.

And can I still write? Like I have no idea, God. So, I just sat back in that room, the place that, you know, I obviously felt really comfortable when I was 17 year old girl, just sitting there and going, opening up the Bible. You know, you’re trying to put what’s the page and see what melodies came out. As you know, I grew up playing classical music, but whenever I was writing, it was always like, essentially with my eyes, shout with my ear open, and I would just rap by what felt, you know, what felt good.

And so, there’s more black notes in there. It’s been more soulful and, you know, that’s more of me. So, it kind of felt so sweet and special that not only, you know, it holds such a sweet place in my heart. You know, going back to that room in my, you know, home that we grew up in, when I was a teenager, that then I would have people who would come alongside to help me with divisionary like the vision side of a project, that they were like, Hey, let’s go back to your home.

And I was like, actually, I’ve got to this cool room. And I wasn’t even thinking until I was there that I’m like, oh my gosh, you’re literally like putting your faithfulness in front of me to remind me. And that would be this stepping stone, you know, for this, as we launch this album, this will be the first song people hear, and there’s so much, I love it in the, in the message Bible, it says there’s so much more here than meets the eye. And it’s kind of fun that there was so many layers, deeper meaning, and just even just reminders of God’s faithfulness and his goodness. And, you know, he hasn’t failed me yet in any area. And he’s not about to start now. And so, kind of felt like a really sweet place to launch out of.

Sarah Taylor: I love when God brings those full circle moments. Why does he do that?

TAYA: Well, he’s, I mean, we’re made in his image and so I always think that, you know, I, I love the detail. I love searching for the meaning. I love stories. I love all that. And we’re created in his image, and he is the greatest storyteller, the greatest story writer. And so, I think it’s a facet of him that just like, is he, you know, again, it’s like bubbling at the surface going, oh, you’re going to love this. Like, just watch what I’m going to do. And it may not be in our timing. It may not be what we think, but his way is always the better way.

Sarah Taylor: Any thoughts about that, Ben?

Ben: Yeah, I mean, he, I totally agree. He’s just in the details and he’s working even when we don’t think he is. And yeah, even when, when we don’t want him to, he has a plan and we I can get in the way so often. But he has a greater plan and it’s drawing us closer to him, and it’s in as drawing people closer to him as well and say, yeah, I just think about submission all the time to that, and laying out our, our desire and our plans down, and getting rid of the things that are getting in the way of us hearing from him. You know, we just that’s that’s my desire is to, to know what his plan is for us.

Sarah Taylor: So interesting. I was thinking about that yesterday. I was asking the Lord to speak to me about something that I was feeling anxious about. I just couldn’t hear, couldn’t hear, couldn’t hear. And, and then I sat down, and I decided to out loud, surrender all the stuff I was holding on to. Put my palms up and I just started naming it, and trying to make sure that even like, you know how you say it, but you’re still holding on a little and I’m like, I got a, totally do this. And it’s so interesting. As soon as I named each person, each thing, everything, hands up, I heard from him immediately after I surrendered all. And it’s funny, I forget that that’s where the freedom comes.

TAYA: I, I love that because what is that scripture that you always talk about when people pray and when people, like you said, name it, Which is bringing all your prayers and your petitions before the Lord. And it’s like so many times, like, we think that we are, but we aren’t actually naming it. We aren’t actually casting our cares upon the Lord. We’re not actually placing it before him. But it’s once we do, when we truly like lay it down, we don’t just like, think about it, but we, like, we put ourselves in a position where we are in the presence of almighty God and we lay it down, that then it’s the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will then guard your heart and Christ in Christ. Jesus. But it’s the, it’s that, do we actually place it before God? Do we actually give him space to sit and breathe?

Ben: Yeah, and that, and that looks different for everyone, even like I’m conscious of us here talking about how we heard from God. And I, I heard this and her that, cause that, I think that’s a unique thing, but it’s not exclusive to certain people. It’s not exclusive to tag cause she’s sung amazing songs and, and all that. It’s anyone and everyone can hear from God. In how we individually hear from God, it’s different for everyone. And sometimes it takes, like, for me, it’s really important that I get up in the morning and either leave the house to pray or just find a room in the house to pray by myself. Yeah. The door’s locked. No one’s coming in. But for Taya she reads her Bible and journals. She can do that in a cafe, and I could never do that, but it’s, yeah, it’s different for everyone. And sometimes it just takes going that extra mile to hear from God. So, even what you were saying how you had to name things and you had to keep praying and pressing in because, he felt like he didn’t hear from God. So yeah. I mean, it’s, it’s different for everyone and everyone can hear from God. And sometimes it’s audible, if it is that’s unbelievable.

Sarah Taylor: I wish that he would text me.

Ben: Yeah, but then again, I would keep it on red. I’d go back to what I was saying before, I felt I heard from God, but that didn’t actually help me for very long. I needed to trust. So, you can hear from God about a partner or a business decision or a job, but if you don’t trust him after that, it’s really not going to help. Say, there’s, there’s a huge process, you know, to hearing from God, after you hear from God, is what I’m trying to say in that, that is just trusting and believing…

TAYA: and having faith, having faith.

Sarah Taylor: Elizabeth, you have some, some notes in your phone that I caught out of my peripheral vision. Cause I was also taking notes. When Taya was talking earlier in devotions, will you give her some of her own quotes back to herself and then Taya, I want you to expound upon them.

Elizabeth: So, so this is our second week of promo. The first week I have just in the last few months really been walking through some stuff with the Lord, where I’m trying to do a better job of paying attention. And I think when you’re doing a job, when you’re on kind of your nine to five, which this is my nine to five, it’s like, well, the Lord’s not gonna speak to me here.

And so, I think I walked into that trip, and it just very immediately Taya speaks just from her relationship from the Lord, so clearly, and so, I was like, okay, I’m going to be listening this week. And some of these quotes actually are not Taya, but they were through that Taya trip that I was like, I want to be listening for what the Lord has to say.

Sarah Taylor: Did you not know about this? Was he sending a text message?

Elizabeth: This is, this is the first one. This is when I was like, oh, I need to keep a note of this. We were, she’d come in late. It had been a really tough night of sleep. When she got up to the lobby, I was like, how are you doing? She’s like, I’m good. Like just kind of frying her eyes up, on my coffee. So, we got to the first station and she, they were thanking her for being there and asking me if she enjoyed the travel, enjoyed all of this. And I knew very clearly it had not been an enjoyable 12 hours. And she just smiled so sweetly, and she said, you know, with Jesus, we can really enjoy everything. And I just thought, with Jesus. I can enjoy even the difficult things that I’m, that I’m dealing with that I’m walking through right now because I’m with Jesus. So, that’s what started the Taya notes. If you want to expound on that, that was the first one.

TAYA: I thought it was going to be like, listen, we have to pull her call time 10 minutes early, because we know that she runs late and, which is something that I did request as well. Like, I know that I’m going to be like, you need a snooze button.

Yes. Or technically I don’t need it because I press it a couple of times. I mean, you’ve so kind Elizabeth, who I fondly call Liz because Australians, we give everyone nicknames to who we love. And so forever she’s Liz. And I did introduce you as Liz to someone they’re like, who’s that? I was like, I’m so sorry. In a professional capacity, it is Elizabeth. She’s my dear friend. And I would say to expand upon that would be in the Message Bible, which is kind of the first Bible that I was reading when I was in my late teens, and I wish I had gotten a hold of that book a whole lot early, because for me, it was just in everyday language that I could understand what God was saying.

And I love that Bible. And in one of the scriptures, it says I will give you the fullest of life in the emptiest of places, which has always stuck with me because, you know, you could be under siege, you could be in the craziest of circumstances, which like, let’s just be honest, like a snapshot 2022, that’s happening right now, all around the entire world. And yet with Jesus, we can do all things, we can do all seasons with him who strengthens us. With him, we have joy. We can experience the fullness of life even, you know, as we, very loved ones, even as we don’t know where our next meal’s coming from, because of when we trust in Jesus, like he is the creator, he knows us.

He knows, you know, it says in the word that he knows what we need before we even ask. I hope that that is reality in my life. I hope that no matter whatever, I’m facing, whatever I’m going through and it’s perspective, cause God’s always working. He’s always doing something. He’s always there. Again, that scripture in second Corinthians, you know, there’s far more here than meets the eye, but I want to be someone who sees it. Potentially may favorite scripture all the Bible is Matthew 5:8. It’s when Jesus is speaking on the mountain and giving them beatitudes, and it’s blistered the pure in heart for, they shall see God. That is my greatest desire in life to see God, because if I see him, everything else that doesn’t matter fades. When I see him, everything that really matters will come into focus. If I am seeing him, I’m just by being in proximity, I’m going to become more like him, which will be way better for my husband and my friends and my family. And I mean, I have my husband here and he knows I’m not perfect by a long shot. He sees me more as a real person than anybody else. But it’s still my greatest desire, and also probably the greatest challenge as well, because how much easier is it when something doesn’t go right, and you’re just like, oh thank you God, you know, but I’m saying it begrudgingly, but hopefully as I’m being caught, by the words that I say that I’m like, no, thank you, Jesus. There’s far more here than meets the eye. Things could be so much worse. Like it even says, I think its limitations, the worst is never the worst with God, which is crazy to think. And also, so true. When you think about any situation,

Elizabeth: Another thing she said was, God, God actually speaks, if we would put aside the time to listen. To me, and even in just what I shared and why I was listening, I think I, I thought it’s like, anything else. It’s practice. You are listening for the voice of the Lord, because you are actively participating in that.

You’re looking for him to speak. And a lot of times he’s speaking and we’re not paying attention, or we’re not, we’re asking the Lord to speak and maybe we’re not, we don’t have our eyes open for that. And so, that was one that stuck out to me, especially just in the things I was listening for. Do you wanna do one more?

So the one from today, this is why I resurrected this note. He works deeply, but tenderly, she shared that a little earlier with the staff here. And I think this morning, I, I was reading in John 11, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. And I was so struck by how Mary responded. Mary was the one who sat at Jesus’ feet when he first came. But when Jesus came in her grief, she stayed in the house. Martha was the one who came out. She was so broken and so hurting. And I, as I was reading this, she comes out when Martha comes out and says, Hey, comes back to the house. And she says, Hey Mary, jesus is here and he’s calling for you. So she comes out and just in her brokenness, he said, show me where you’ve laid him. And she goes and shows him and Jesus weeps and, and is compassionate in that moment because she’s grieving, even though he knows what’s about to happen, he’s aware. And I just thought about how, what a deep work that was in Mary’s life and what raw moment that was for her. She lost her brother. She lost her support system in that culture. And she felt betrayed by Jesus because, you know, they both said if you had been here, if you’ve been here. And how he was doing some really deep work, but he did it very tenderly in the midst of her grief. So, that, that was my quote from today and kind of why that stuck out to me. It was like the Lord and I had just been talking about that a few hours ago.

Ben: Was that full circle moment again? Yeah.

TAYA: I love that. I mean, that’s a picture of the holy spirit, you know, he, because God desires abundant full life for us and because we’re humans and unfortunately, we let things stick that shouldn’t stick and we go through seasons. Unfortunately, it’s not like water off a Duck’s back and some things just get lodged in, or it’s sin that so easily entangles. And so, we actually do need, you know, what, what the Bible is described as, you know, if we read the Bible, then we’re going to know who Jesus is, but the Bible was described as a two-edge sword.

It’s actually sharper than a two-edged sword, which is the sharpest instrument. And in the message, it talks about how it’s sharper than a two-edged sword. It cuts through both doubt and defense, and it leaves us open, for no one is impervious to the word of God. And I just love that, to be honest, that quote is from the message Bible. He works deeply, but he works tenderly, and I’ve just watched him do crazy work in my own life, and in my friends’ lives, but it’s never forceful. He doesn’t, you know, what does it say? Like if you, if you’re looking for the voice of the Lord, you know, we, we thought it was in the thunder and we thought it was in the rain and we thought it was in the wind, but it was this soft, still voice.

And I just, you know, so many times when you exactly what you said, like you, you told the exact story of Jesus. That he was with people, and He wept, and as Christians, that’s what I meant to do. I meant to weep with those who weep, or we’re meant to rejoice with those who rejoice and that’s what Jesus was literally doing in that moment.

He was so, again, like you said, like he knew what was coming. He knew that Lazarus was going to, you know, they’re about to have craziest resurrection party for Jesus had his own, you know? And even just like, Jesus’s, he’s just so present in that moment as well. Like he looks up to him and he says, father, you know, I’m praying this and going to be doing this just so that you can be revealed.

Like how kind that he’s just like, no, this is going to be a moment where God’s going to break in and you just gonna, you know, have the most insane thing, but he did it so tenderly as well. And he loved in them any wept and was overcome with emotion. And can you tell me, Jesus doesn’t know, humans and, and how best we work and how to best work in us as well.

So, he’s, he’s kind.

Sarah Taylor: He’s kind. Thank you for your time.

TAYA: Yeah, of course. Thank you for having us and thank you for ripping in Elizabeth and Ben.

Sarah Taylor: Yeah, I walked out in the hallway. All three. All three!

Our thanks to Taya, Ben, and Elizabeth from Capitol CMG. And of course, to Scott Karow, our fabulous producer with Terra Firma. So grateful for you joining the Passion Meets Purpose podcast. And I will see you again in two weeks.

Special thanks to Northwest University for sponsoring the Passion Meets Purpose Podcast. NU is a faith-based and Christ-centered community, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in person and online. At Northwest University, your future isn’t canceled, it’s just beginning.