January 22, 2026 • 33 mins
This week, we sit down with Chris Blair, the owner of the Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, a place known not just for great music, but for the spirit of generosity that lives within its walls. Chris came to Nashville chasing a dream, but what began as a pursuit of music slowly became a calling to create space for others—space where stories are honored, community is formed, and giving back becomes more important than getting ahead.
Later in the episode, we’ll also hear from country artist Cyndi Thomson, who experienced a rapid rise to fame with her debut album My World and hit song “What I Really Meant to Say.” At the height of her success, she began to struggle with panic attacks and a deep sense that God was moving her in a different direction. She shares the private process of wrestling with this decision, and how after walking away from her career, her focus became on the one individual over the accolades of the world.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary
Upcoming interview: Jeremy Rosado
Interview Quotes:
“At The Listening Room, we connect people with the stories behind the songs. That’s our mission.” - Chris Blair
“Part of the reason that I wanted to start the Listening Room in the first place [was] to bring in and spend thirty minutes to an hour with individual artists and songwriters and really share their story of not just the songs, but how they got started, their struggles, their wins, and all of that.” - Chris Blair
“We went through a lot of hard times in the early days, but that was the early dream of what I wanted people to experience when they walked into the doors of The Listening Room for the first time—that they just felt like they belonged and that they could walk out feeling like they were connected to the stories behind the songs in a way that they had never heard and couldn’t wait to come back.” - Chris Blair
“Because I’d come out of a bullying experience, I didn’t know what I was. [A teacher] was the first person to really call out what God had put on my life. She saw an anointing that I didn’t see, and I needed a teacher like that in my life.” - Cyndi Thomson
“Looking back now, [walking away from my career] was self-preservation, and it was obviously the Lord’s hand on my life. So that decision came with much prayer. I remember having this moment where I was like, Okay, Lord, if you really want me to do this, I need something supernatural from You only.” - Cyndi Thomson
“I think that time with the Lord on a daily basis can either make or break your day. How many times can we call it out by the end of the day, like, I didn’t spend my time with the Lord? You just know it. It just runs so differently when you do.” - Cyndi Thomson
“God really does care about the ‘one,’ and He’ll go to any length to reach them.” - Cyndi Thomson
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Life Audio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
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(00:33):
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Speaker 3 (00:43):
If I could go back to the early days when
I was first starting this, if someone would have told
me that we would be doing anywhere from two to
five shows a day with two hundred and fifty or
so people at every single show, and that it would
be what it is today, I probably would have laughed
and said, there's no way. But it's been a blessing
(01:04):
and our team at the Listening Room is just incredible
and I couldn't do this without them.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Welcome to the Jesus Calling Podcast. This week, we sit
down with Chris Blair, the owner of the Listening Room
Cafe in Nashville, a place known not just for great music,
but for the spirit of generosity that lives within its walls.
Chris came to Nashville chasing a dream, but what began
as a pursuit of music slowly became a calling to
create space for others, Space where stories are honored, community
(01:34):
is formed, and giving back becomes more important than getting ahead.
Later in the episode, we'll hear from country artist Cindy Thompson,
who experienced a rapid rise to fame with her debut
album My World and the hit song What I Really
Meant to Say. At the height of her success, she
began to struggle with panic attacks in a deep sense
that God was moving her in a different direction. She
(01:55):
shares the private process of wrestling with this decision and
how after walking away from her career, her focus became
on the one individual over the accolades of the world.
Let's begin with Chris's story.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
My name is Chris Blair and I grew up in
Saint Louis, Missouri. Moved to Nashville, Tennessee in two thousand
and three for the music industry, and I run the
listening room cafe. Growing up in Saint Louis, Gosh, I
had a lot of dreams. I think I've always had
(02:35):
music in my bones. I started singing when I was
six years old, started playing piano before that. My passion
was always music. I had a great upbringing. My parents
were always supportive in whatever my brother and I wanted
to do. I moved to Nashville in two thousand and three.
I did that to pursue an artist's career. And yeah,
(02:56):
it was the first time that I had left. You know,
my family all lives in Saint Louis. I moved to
Nashville not knowing anybody. It was really scary. I had
met with a guy by the name of Doug Howard,
who at the time was head of A and R
for Lyric Street Records, and he invited me down and
(03:17):
I played a few songs for him, and he said, hey,
you've got something. We'd love to work with you. And
I had literally just bought my first house in Saint
Lois maybe a year or so before that. My brother
had just bought a house a couple miles down the road.
He and I are very close, and like I said,
(03:37):
my family was all in the area, so it was
just you know, friends, everything, my support system. It was
home and I went back from that meeting with Lyric Street,
put my house on the market, and a week later
was in a U haul driving outside of Saint Lois,
balling my eyes out, wondering what I was doing, but
(03:58):
also exciting to just chase that dream. So when I
moved to Nashville pursuing the art career, I also had
a background in finance, so I was a financial planner
in Saint Louis before moving and I went and my
first job that I got was at a bank, and
(04:20):
I wanted to be a teller so that I had
no responsibilities that I could basically have quote unquote bankers hours.
Interviewed for that position, got a call back and they said, hey,
you're overqualified for a teller position, but we would love
to bring you as a branch manager.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
And I took that job.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Was making more money than I ever thought I would
make in my life at that point.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
It was great, but it was a lot. I would
put a.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Suit and tie on every day, go to the bank,
work those hours, would leave the bank and go play
tutsis every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from six to
ten pm, then go back home, sleep a few hours,
do it all over again, and then on the weekends
I would go out on the road with my band
(05:10):
and pursue the artist thing. So during that time, it
was brutal, it was exhausting. It really pushed me into
a season where I stopped appreciating music because I was
doing it in a way that I didn't want to
do it. What was different at that point is I
also met a few songwriters who had had multiple hits,
(05:35):
some of them Grammy Award winning songwriters that kind of
took me under their wing and open to this world
up to songwriting. Meeting these guys was the first time
that I really got to experience collaboration and going into
a room and writing with other people, and.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I fell in love with it. Early on.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
In the listening room was really, really difficult. I had
a partner when I started, and he was not really
around much, just didn't There was not that support that
I had hoped for, and I bought him out in
two thousand and nine and quickly started to struggle financially,
(06:27):
and it was rough. There were often times where I
would close the venue down and I would go into
the office and I would lay down on the cold
concrete floor and sleep for a few hours because I
had to be back in a few hours to open
it back up. I don't even remember how long it was.
I didn't take a paycheck. I was the cook, the
(06:51):
sound engineer, the janitor, the bartender, the you know. I
was just running around doing everything. And I remember the
first time that I kind of closed the books for
the month. Then we had had probably the best month
that we had ever had, and there were just tears
(07:12):
of joy because I was going to be able to
take a paycheck for the first.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Time in a long time.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
And this was all while I was racking up credit
card debt, had already eaten through all of my savings
that I had had as a banker and everything before that.
And I was walking through the restaurant and I saw
one of my managers at the time out on our
(07:38):
patio crying, and I walked outside and was like, Hey,
are you okay?
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And their family had been going through some hard times,
I think, with some medical bills and things like that,
and he had just gotten a foreclosure notice on his house,
and almost to the penny, the amount of money that
he needed to pay his mortgage was what I was
going to be able to pay myself, and I gave
(08:08):
it to him, and you know, those were some early
rough days. That was also around the time of the
twenty ten flood. There were a handful of songwriters that
saw through the smile that I would put on my
face and started peeling layers back one evening in a
(08:32):
conversation to really figure out what was going on, and
I kind of broke down and let them know all
the hard things that were happening and that I didn't
know how long I was going to be able to
keep the venue, but I figured it was a few
months and then I was out of money and that
was it. You know, the conversation in my mind was over.
(08:54):
And we have always done benefit shows from early on.
It was just a big part of my heart that
I wanted to give back, and it was Brian White,
bridget Tatum and Danny Myrick were the three songwriters and
they came to me and said, hey, can we get
a date. We're going to put a show together, and
I just assumed it was a regular show. Gave them
(09:14):
the date and they later shared with me that this
was going to be what they called the listening room
Appreciation Days, and they had created a show that was
just jam packed with all huge songwriters and huge artists
(09:35):
that all just immediately came to support what we were doing.
And the songwriting community knew the struggles, but nobody else did.
And it was just a ticket to come see an
awesome show, and they were giving all of the money
back to me to pay the bills. And the day
that that show was scheduled and happened was a couple
(10:00):
weeks after the twenty ten Nashville flood.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
I remember just I needed that money. I needed all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
But something in my heart just said, you know that
Nashville's struggling, and I want to just give a quote
unquote percentage back to the community. So I contacted my
friend Lisa, who now works at the CMAS, but at
the time she was working at a nonprofit called Hands
on Nashville that was kind of this quarterback nonprofit that
(10:30):
would take money and then find the need in the
community to give it to other nonprofits that needed it.
So I said, you know, hey, a portion of our
proceeds will go to that. And you know, honestly, in
my head it was like maybe five percent, you know, it.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Was it was not going to be much.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
And at that show, I put a band together and
surprised everyone.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
My parents had.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Come in from Saint Louis, friends had come in from
Saint Louis. I mean, it was a standing room only,
sold out show, and I was on stage. I played
I don't know three or four songs, but one of
the songs that I was playing was a song that
I wrote not too long before that called why Don't
You Fall? And it was a song basically about falling
(11:18):
into God's.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Arms when you're walking through the hard times.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And I remember being on stage and seeing that song
and scanning the room and I saw my friend Lisa
standing over by the front door, right by the window,
and I mean, honestly, it was like this beam of
light coming in the window that was just like a
glow around her head. And I stopped in the middle
(11:44):
of that song, broke down, started crying on stage in
front of everybody, got super vulnerable and said, you guys
think you're here for just a great show, and you are.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
These guys have put together an incredible show.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
But what you don't know is that this is this
is because we're struggling, and this is them coming around
to help us. But I looked over at Bridget, Danny
and Brian and said, I'm sorry. I know you guys
did this for me, but I can't take any of this.
And then I looked over at Lisa in the corner
(12:19):
and I said, one hundred percent of what we do
today goes back to Hanson Nashville. And I said, you know,
I don't know that we'll be able to keep going,
but if we don't, then I'm going out.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
On a high note. And if we do, then it's
God's will. And that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That was the turning point for the Listening Room. I
didn't do anything different. I'm not that smart, but I
truly believe that is when God came into it and
people started showing up. And that's the reason the Listening
Room is what it is today. Is because of that,
because I am If I could go back to the
(12:56):
early days when I was first starting this, if someone
would have told me that we would be doing anywhere
from two to five shows a day with two hundred
and fifty or so people at every single show, and
that it would be what it is today, I probably
would have laughed and said there's no way. But it's
(13:16):
been a blessing and it's a testament to I guess
what we've created, and what we've created is because of
the vision that I had, but more so because of
the songwriting community that has supported it, the fans that
have supported it. And you know, our team at the
Listening Room is just incredible and I couldn't do this
without them. We say at the Listening Room that we
(13:44):
connect people with the stories behind the songs. That's our mission.
And you know, I get to hear these longer versions
of the stories behind the songs, and when people are
performing on stage, they'll tell the story, and you know,
they're great stories, but it's not the full story. You
(14:05):
listen to a song on their radio and you just
assume that that's that person's song and that's their life
and they wrote it, and many of them do, but
many of them don't. And you know, I loved diving
into that and I loved hearing those stories. I connected
with it. That's part of the reason that I wanted
(14:27):
to start the Listening Room in the first place. And
then that's also why I started the story Span the
Song's podcast to bring in and spend thirty minutes to
an hour with individual artists and songwriters and really share
their story of not just the songs, but you know
how they got started, their struggles, their wins, and all
(14:48):
of that, and I think that's why people connect with it.
We went through a lot of hard times in the
early days, but that was the early dream of what
I wanted people to experience when they walked into the
doors of the listening room for the first time, is
that they just felt like they belonged, and they could
walk out feeling like they were connected to the stories
(15:10):
behind the songs in a way that they had never
heard and couldn't wait to come back. I got through
those hard times by trusting God and leaning on prayer.
I'm very familiar with Jesus calling.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
I don't even remember when I got my first.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Book, but it was years ago and it was given
to me by a friend. Then I'd found out that
my wife had also been reading it. Since twenty thirteen,
I am still trying to find the right time to
slow down and connect with God on a daily basis.
(15:46):
I have seasons where I do really well for several
weeks and then I'll miss a couple days, and I
think that's okay too, But you know, it's a marathon,
and I think that's what it's supposed to be. And
you just have to attack every day as a new
day and try to spend that time. Jesus listens, February sixteenth.
(16:11):
Gentle Jesus, you've been teaching me that there is no
randomness about my life. Here and now comprise the coordinates
of my daily life. The present moment is not only
the point at which my time intersects eternity. It is
the place where I encounter you, my eternal Savior. Every
(16:31):
moment of every day is alive with your glorious presence.
Help me to keep my thoughts focused on you, enjoining
your presence here and now. I find that the more
time I spend communicating with you, the less I worry.
This frees me to let your spirit direct my steps,
guiding my feet into the way of peace in your
(16:53):
guiding name.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
To learn more about Chris Blair, visit Chris Blair dot com.
And to keep up with the latest shows at the
Listening Room, visit Listeningroom Cafe dot com. Stay tuned to
Cindy Thompson's story after a brief message. Teens today face
(17:19):
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The new teen edition of Jesus Calling is here to help.
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(17:40):
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The teen edition is perfect for building morning quiet time,
(18:01):
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(18:22):
the teen Edition of Jesus Calling wherever books are sold.
Our next guest is Cindy Thompson, a country artist who
saw her Nashville dream come true with her debut album
My World and the hit song What I Really Meant
to Say.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
At the height of her career, when.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place, Cindy began
to sense God leading her in a completely different direction.
What followed was a powerful journey of trust, surrender, and
rediscovering her identity beyond the stage.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Well, my name is Cindy Thompson, originally from South Georgia.
I moved to Nashville over twenty five years a guyer
to follow my dream of being a country music singer.
It's what I'd always wanted to do since I was
twelve years old. I grew up in Tifton, Georgia, and
(19:18):
it was a beautiful experience. I was allowed to dream
in my house and Jesus was a big part of
our conversation on a daily basis. I was bullied pretty
severely in middle school. Deep down inside, I didn't really
want to be seen. I was just a quiet little
girl who just wanted to disappear. I had a great
home life. My parents were very much on the pulse
(19:39):
at that time in my life and for me I
felt very loved at home. I was very confident, but
that whole experience really just changed me. I thought, well,
I'll play clarinet. My sister was in the marching band.
It's a big band. I can disappear, and so I did.
I joined the band, but I was a terrible clarinet player.
I was last chair. And one afternoon the choir teacher
(20:01):
came in and she said, is Cindy Thompson in here?
And this was a huge class, and I eventually raised
my hand. I was a little timid and afraid, and
she asked me to step outside. And this is really
where I began to dream bigger for myself. She said
to me, in the whole way, I heard that you
could sing. And I said, well, I don't know if
(20:22):
I can sing, and she said, well, come with me.
We're going to go into my class. We walked into
the choir class where all the cool kids were, and
she put me in front of the piano and began
to play all these scales, one after the other, and.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
She asked me to sing them back, and they got.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Harder and harder and harder, and I did them all
and she said to me that day she's like, I
don't care what you do with your clarinet.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
That's your chair over there.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
We eventually changed my classes and she told my parents
she's a star. It was hard for me to understand
because they had come out of that bullying experience and
I didn't know what I was. And she was the
first person to really call out what God had put.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
On my life.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
She saw annoying that I didn't see, and I needed
a teacher like that in my life. That is when
I really began to dream about music, and she was
the catalyst. I had written all the songs and obviously
gotten the record deal at Capital, and for me, success
(21:26):
first and foremost was that that I actually was able
to achieve a dream that I felt God had planted
in my heart, which was to move to Nashville and
get a record deal. And what made it even better
was that Capital believed in my songs that I'd written
and allowed me to be very much a part of
the project. You want your song to reach the top
(21:48):
of the charts. You want to receive the accolades and awards,
because you know that in a way does signify that
you were recognized for your hard work and your art,
and so for me, those were kind of the things
that mattered. I just knew that it that point, being
on a label and having my songs on a record
(22:09):
meant so much to me. When I made the choice
to leave the music industry, it wasn't haphazard, it wasn't overnight.
It was a process that I really didn't share with anyone.
It was like I had this big secret that I
couldn't tell anyone. Because I had reached my ultimate dream
and I had successful music. I was being called the
(22:31):
it girl, and I was having meetings with corporations about
representing products. There were so many things happening that you
dream about. But deep down inside, I was having panic attacks.
I was depressed. I was on anti depressants. I was
having my heart monitored every week. I was in so
much pain, and I didn't understand why, because what I
(22:52):
was walking out was so beautiful, and to the outside world,
you look at that and you think, wow, that's amazing,
and it was in so many ways.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
But I always say that fame is unnatural.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
It doesn't mean that we can't be fame, or that
God doesn't put us in physicians to represent him.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Or be a light to the world. But for me
at that.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Time, I just knew that if I didn't walk away,
I don't know what would happen. You know, looking back now,
it was self preservation and it was obviously the Lord's
hand on my life. So that decision came with much prayer,
and I remember having this moment where I was like, Okay, Lord,
if you really want me to do this, I need
(23:33):
something supernatural from you only. I didn't include other people
in this decision because I didn't want them to have
the pressure of the yes or the no, or me
walking away or not walking away. Right, it was a
private conversation with me the Lord. It was a private
wrestle with me and him because he had ultimately given
me the dream. I remember on the back of the
(23:55):
bus one night, just breaking down and I just really
felt the Lord say, walk away. You can trust me
with this. I never ask you to do anything I
don't complete in your life life.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
And I said no.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
So I kept working, I kept going, and it was
this moment where I asked, Lord, give me something supernatural,
and it happened. I was in an airport. My flight
was delayed. I was with my band and they went
to grab lunch and I was just sitting there with
my husband. He was reading a newspaper and I'd gotten
a new self help book. I thought, maybe this one
will help me figure out my life. And I was
(24:30):
seeking the Lord and praying and I look over about
two gates down. Those both were closed, but there was
a woman, an African American woman in her late eighties,
being wheeled up to this gate and just kind of
pushed facing the wall. And she was left there by
the airline employee and she was trying to move her wheelchair.
(24:51):
And I thought, this so strange that someone would do
that to somebody, and so I said to my husband, look,
that's so strange. It looks like she has to go somewhere.
And he said, well, maybe he should go help her.
And I was like, no, I have a self help book.
No one's going to call me on my phone. They
think on a flight like I got some rest here. No, no, no,
And it just wouldn't shake. So I kept looking and
(25:12):
I finally got up and I went over to her
and I said, ma'am, do you need to go somewhere?
And she said yes, honey, I need to go to
the bathroom. And I said, well, I can take you
and so we began to walk in this busy airport
and I had to push her through the traffic of
the airport. Right, everyone was going to where they needed
to be in this busy world that we live in,
and I remember just thinking, how am I going to
(25:34):
get over there?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
It's crazy in this airport.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So I just started pushing her through the traffic, and
immediately I encountered this young girl who just looked so
mad at me for getting in her way, and I thought,
that's kind.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Of who I'm becoming.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
It's just a quick moment.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Right, this is all happening fast, but also felt like
it was slow motion. And again I've not spoken one
word to this woman except by saying, can I take
you somewhere?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And I said, why, I can take you right my flight?
Speaker 5 (26:02):
So lay So I get in this bathroom there's no
one in there, and I help her get into a
stall and she's just thanking me. We're not really talking
at all, and she comes out. I help her get
in the wheelchair and she grabs both in my hands
and she says to me, you need to make the
(26:22):
choices that make you happy in life.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
You need to be happy, And immediately I knew it
was the Lord.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
He had used someone to get my attention that I
hear you, and I've given you something today to show
you that it's okay to make this decision. I knew
without a doubt what I was going to do. I
went back at her settled, went back to sit with
my husband, and I said, I'm going to walk away.
I'm officially doing this. And so that's when the real
journey began, meeting with my label, walking away, and immediately
(26:56):
everything stopped. After I left my career, there was a
moment in time where I was just thinking what's next
and just sitting with the Lord in this decision I made,
because literally everything stopped. There was no tour bus, there
(27:18):
were no interviews, there was no flights, there was no
red carpets. It was all gone and it was very quiet.
You know, I think that time with the Lord on
a daily basis can either make or break your day.
I mean, how many times we can call it out
by the end of the day, Like, you know, I
didn't spend my time with the Lord. You just know it.
(27:41):
It just runs so differently when you do. I was
trying to remember when I got my first Jesus Calling Book.
It was many years ago, and it really was so
important to my daily routine. It was helpful because I
think a lot of times we get intimidated by the
Bible itself, like where do I start?
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Where do I go? You know, and if you're not
in a study or.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
You don't have a devotional in front of you, that
can be intimidating. And so it was so helpful for
me on those days when I just really needed to
hear from the Lord, just such an encouragement as a
daily devotional with scripture included. I got a call to
come and speak at a girl's ministry to share my
testimony and to sing.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I said yes right away.
Speaker 5 (28:29):
I remember thinking, Okay, this ministry provides a home for
girls who've been through very traumatic situations.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
It's not a large home.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
They only accept so many at a time because they
really focus on healing them.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
And it's a beautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
And the more I thought about accepting this opportunity, I thought,
I can't go there.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I had a great upbringing, I had loving parents. I've
got a record deal.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I let my record deal go, Like, why would any
of them relate to me? In fact, they're probably gonna
hate me. I don't want to do this, and so
the enemy just would it stop saying these things to me.
Up until the night before I was supposed to go.
They're not going to care. They don't need you to come,
and I kept thinking, you're right, you're right, I don't
(29:14):
need to do this. This is crazy, But I committed
and I went, and I meet the head of the
ministry and she says, you know, we're kind of on
a strict schedule. They have to be in bed by
nine o'clock, so just as long as you share your story,
you should have time for one song, and then that
would be great. And I'm like, okay, we've got it.
So as the girls start to trickle in, I could
(29:35):
see the girls that probably were new and kind of
mad about their situation and didn't really want to be
there listening to a speaker. And then there was one
girl that came in and sat at the very front
row and just was staring at me. And I shared
my testimony as saying my song, and then realized the
ministry had said, you have time for one more song. Well,
(29:57):
we've not worked on another one. So I looked at
my husband and said, what do you want to do.
We didn't work on anything, and he said, I've got
an idea. Let's do this song. So as it began
to sing that song, that girl in the front row
began to weep and weep. When I finished the song
and said, you know, goodbyes to some of the people
that work there, she lingered and asked if I could
(30:18):
sit with her, So I said absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
We sat down.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Now that weekend I would have been at the ACM
Awards that exact night.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
It would have been the year that we would have.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Prepped for nominations and all the things you do in
that second year being an artist. I was projected to
have maybe have some nominations. And so here I was
sitting at this ministry the night that I would have
been at the ACM Awards, with this beautiful young girl,
and she said to me, when I found out it
was you, I couldn't believe it. I ran up here
(30:52):
and I looked through the window and I ran in
my bedroom and began to pray. She said, I've wanted
to meet you my whole life, and I prayed that
you would sing that song because it was attached to
memory as to why I'm in here to this relationship
she shouldn't have been in. That was their song, and
she said, God, if she just sings it one more time,
(31:14):
I can have a new memory attached to that song.
And at this point I'm crying because I feel the
Lord saying to me, Cindy, I know where you would
have been, but I care about the one, and it
was just a beautiful story of you know, God really
does care about the one and he'll go to any
length to reach them.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
To learn more about Cindy Thompson, visit www dot Cindy
Thompson dot com. If you'd like to hear more stories
about what happens when we put others first. Check out
our interview with old friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. Next time
on the Jesus Calling podcast, well hear from Christian artist
(32:00):
Jeremy Risotto, who you may recognize from his appearances on
American Idol and The Voice. Jeremy opens up about his
journey to the stage, have his music as a window
into his heart and a story of family, faith and
the moments that shape us.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I never thought in a million years I'd do The Voice,
but my God has done exceedingly Abundon more than I saw.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
And it wasn't because I was the best singer in
the world or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
It was because I knew that God was.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Doing this and He wasn't wasting this opportunity for me.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Thanks for listening to the Jesus Calling Stories of Faith
podcast on the Live Audio Network. Every week, we'll bring
you stories from people who share their journeys of faith
and how prayer and a relationship with God transformed their lives.
Be sure to follow us on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or
wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave us a review
(32:55):
so others can be inspired weekly by these stories of faith. Finally,
you can find encouragement resources and more on the Jesus
Calling website at Jesus Calling dot um.
Life Audio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Did you know that Jesus Calling has its own YouTube channel.
It's full of great content that will enhance your spiritual life.
You'll find beautiful videos with short devotional moments to help
you through your day, as well as stories on video
from celebrities, authors, pastors, and everyday people who share what
their faith journey has meant to them. You'll also find
that Jesus Listens Stories of Prayer series hosted by Susie
(00:33):
McIntyre Eaton, featuring new guests monthly. Subscribe Today for new
videos each week.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
If I could go back to the early days when
I was first starting this, if someone would have told
me that we would be doing anywhere from two to
five shows a day with two hundred and fifty or
so people at every single show, and that it would
be what it is today, I probably would have laughed
and said, there's no way. But it's been a blessing
(01:04):
and our team at the Listening Room is just incredible
and I couldn't do this without them.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Welcome to the Jesus Calling Podcast. This week, we sit
down with Chris Blair, the owner of the Listening Room
Cafe in Nashville, a place known not just for great music,
but for the spirit of generosity that lives within its walls.
Chris came to Nashville chasing a dream, but what began
as a pursuit of music slowly became a calling to
create space for others, Space where stories are honored, community
(01:34):
is formed, and giving back becomes more important than getting ahead.
Later in the episode, we'll hear from country artist Cindy Thompson,
who experienced a rapid rise to fame with her debut
album My World and the hit song What I Really
Meant to Say. At the height of her success, she
began to struggle with panic attacks in a deep sense
that God was moving her in a different direction. She
(01:55):
shares the private process of wrestling with this decision and
how after walking away from her career, her focus became
on the one individual over the accolades of the world.
Let's begin with Chris's story.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
My name is Chris Blair and I grew up in
Saint Louis, Missouri. Moved to Nashville, Tennessee in two thousand
and three for the music industry, and I run the
listening room cafe. Growing up in Saint Louis, Gosh, I
had a lot of dreams. I think I've always had
(02:35):
music in my bones. I started singing when I was
six years old, started playing piano before that. My passion
was always music. I had a great upbringing. My parents
were always supportive in whatever my brother and I wanted
to do. I moved to Nashville in two thousand and three.
I did that to pursue an artist's career. And yeah,
(02:56):
it was the first time that I had left. You know,
my family all lives in Saint Louis. I moved to
Nashville not knowing anybody. It was really scary. I had
met with a guy by the name of Doug Howard,
who at the time was head of A and R
for Lyric Street Records, and he invited me down and
(03:17):
I played a few songs for him, and he said, hey,
you've got something. We'd love to work with you. And
I had literally just bought my first house in Saint
Lois maybe a year or so before that. My brother
had just bought a house a couple miles down the road.
He and I are very close, and like I said,
(03:37):
my family was all in the area, so it was
just you know, friends, everything, my support system. It was
home and I went back from that meeting with Lyric Street,
put my house on the market, and a week later
was in a U haul driving outside of Saint Lois,
balling my eyes out, wondering what I was doing, but
(03:58):
also exciting to just chase that dream. So when I
moved to Nashville pursuing the art career, I also had
a background in finance, so I was a financial planner
in Saint Louis before moving and I went and my
first job that I got was at a bank, and
(04:20):
I wanted to be a teller so that I had
no responsibilities that I could basically have quote unquote bankers hours.
Interviewed for that position, got a call back and they said, hey,
you're overqualified for a teller position, but we would love
to bring you as a branch manager.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
And I took that job.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Was making more money than I ever thought I would
make in my life at that point.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
It was great, but it was a lot. I would
put a.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Suit and tie on every day, go to the bank,
work those hours, would leave the bank and go play
tutsis every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from six to
ten pm, then go back home, sleep a few hours,
do it all over again, and then on the weekends
I would go out on the road with my band
(05:10):
and pursue the artist thing. So during that time, it
was brutal, it was exhausting. It really pushed me into
a season where I stopped appreciating music because I was
doing it in a way that I didn't want to
do it. What was different at that point is I
also met a few songwriters who had had multiple hits,
(05:35):
some of them Grammy Award winning songwriters that kind of
took me under their wing and open to this world
up to songwriting. Meeting these guys was the first time
that I really got to experience collaboration and going into
a room and writing with other people, and.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I fell in love with it. Early on.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
In the listening room was really, really difficult. I had
a partner when I started, and he was not really
around much, just didn't There was not that support that
I had hoped for, and I bought him out in
two thousand and nine and quickly started to struggle financially,
(06:27):
and it was rough. There were often times where I
would close the venue down and I would go into
the office and I would lay down on the cold
concrete floor and sleep for a few hours because I
had to be back in a few hours to open
it back up. I don't even remember how long it was.
I didn't take a paycheck. I was the cook, the
(06:51):
sound engineer, the janitor, the bartender, the you know. I
was just running around doing everything. And I remember the
first time that I kind of closed the books for
the month. Then we had had probably the best month
that we had ever had, and there were just tears
(07:12):
of joy because I was going to be able to
take a paycheck for the first.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Time in a long time.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
And this was all while I was racking up credit
card debt, had already eaten through all of my savings
that I had had as a banker and everything before that.
And I was walking through the restaurant and I saw
one of my managers at the time out on our
(07:38):
patio crying, and I walked outside and was like, Hey,
are you okay?
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And their family had been going through some hard times,
I think, with some medical bills and things like that,
and he had just gotten a foreclosure notice on his house,
and almost to the penny, the amount of money that
he needed to pay his mortgage was what I was
going to be able to pay myself, and I gave
(08:08):
it to him, and you know, those were some early
rough days. That was also around the time of the
twenty ten flood. There were a handful of songwriters that
saw through the smile that I would put on my
face and started peeling layers back one evening in a
(08:32):
conversation to really figure out what was going on, and
I kind of broke down and let them know all
the hard things that were happening and that I didn't
know how long I was going to be able to
keep the venue, but I figured it was a few
months and then I was out of money and that
was it. You know, the conversation in my mind was over.
(08:54):
And we have always done benefit shows from early on.
It was just a big part of my heart that
I wanted to give back, and it was Brian White,
bridget Tatum and Danny Myrick were the three songwriters and
they came to me and said, hey, can we get
a date. We're going to put a show together, and
I just assumed it was a regular show. Gave them
(09:14):
the date and they later shared with me that this
was going to be what they called the listening room
Appreciation Days, and they had created a show that was
just jam packed with all huge songwriters and huge artists
(09:35):
that all just immediately came to support what we were doing.
And the songwriting community knew the struggles, but nobody else did.
And it was just a ticket to come see an
awesome show, and they were giving all of the money
back to me to pay the bills. And the day
that that show was scheduled and happened was a couple
(10:00):
weeks after the twenty ten Nashville flood.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
I remember just I needed that money. I needed all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
But something in my heart just said, you know that
Nashville's struggling, and I want to just give a quote
unquote percentage back to the community. So I contacted my
friend Lisa, who now works at the CMAS, but at
the time she was working at a nonprofit called Hands
on Nashville that was kind of this quarterback nonprofit that
(10:30):
would take money and then find the need in the
community to give it to other nonprofits that needed it.
So I said, you know, hey, a portion of our
proceeds will go to that. And you know, honestly, in
my head it was like maybe five percent, you know, it.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Was it was not going to be much.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
And at that show, I put a band together and
surprised everyone.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
My parents had.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Come in from Saint Louis, friends had come in from
Saint Louis. I mean, it was a standing room only,
sold out show, and I was on stage. I played
I don't know three or four songs, but one of
the songs that I was playing was a song that
I wrote not too long before that called why Don't
You Fall? And it was a song basically about falling
(11:18):
into God's.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Arms when you're walking through the hard times.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And I remember being on stage and seeing that song
and scanning the room and I saw my friend Lisa
standing over by the front door, right by the window,
and I mean, honestly, it was like this beam of
light coming in the window that was just like a
glow around her head. And I stopped in the middle
(11:44):
of that song, broke down, started crying on stage in
front of everybody, got super vulnerable and said, you guys
think you're here for just a great show, and you are.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
These guys have put together an incredible show.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
But what you don't know is that this is this
is because we're struggling, and this is them coming around
to help us. But I looked over at Bridget, Danny
and Brian and said, I'm sorry. I know you guys
did this for me, but I can't take any of this.
And then I looked over at Lisa in the corner
(12:19):
and I said, one hundred percent of what we do
today goes back to Hanson Nashville. And I said, you know,
I don't know that we'll be able to keep going,
but if we don't, then I'm going out.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
On a high note. And if we do, then it's
God's will. And that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That was the turning point for the Listening Room. I
didn't do anything different. I'm not that smart, but I
truly believe that is when God came into it and
people started showing up. And that's the reason the Listening
Room is what it is today. Is because of that,
because I am If I could go back to the
(12:56):
early days when I was first starting this, if someone
would have told me that we would be doing anywhere
from two to five shows a day with two hundred
and fifty or so people at every single show, and
that it would be what it is today, I probably
would have laughed and said there's no way. But it's
(13:16):
been a blessing and it's a testament to I guess
what we've created, and what we've created is because of
the vision that I had, but more so because of
the songwriting community that has supported it, the fans that
have supported it. And you know, our team at the
Listening Room is just incredible and I couldn't do this
without them. We say at the Listening Room that we
(13:44):
connect people with the stories behind the songs. That's our mission.
And you know, I get to hear these longer versions
of the stories behind the songs, and when people are
performing on stage, they'll tell the story, and you know,
they're great stories, but it's not the full story. You
(14:05):
listen to a song on their radio and you just
assume that that's that person's song and that's their life
and they wrote it, and many of them do, but
many of them don't. And you know, I loved diving
into that and I loved hearing those stories. I connected
with it. That's part of the reason that I wanted
(14:27):
to start the Listening Room in the first place. And
then that's also why I started the story Span the
Song's podcast to bring in and spend thirty minutes to
an hour with individual artists and songwriters and really share
their story of not just the songs, but you know
how they got started, their struggles, their wins, and all
(14:48):
of that, and I think that's why people connect with it.
We went through a lot of hard times in the
early days, but that was the early dream of what
I wanted people to experience when they walked into the
doors of the listening room for the first time, is
that they just felt like they belonged, and they could
walk out feeling like they were connected to the stories
(15:10):
behind the songs in a way that they had never
heard and couldn't wait to come back. I got through
those hard times by trusting God and leaning on prayer.
I'm very familiar with Jesus calling.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
I don't even remember when I got my first.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Book, but it was years ago and it was given
to me by a friend. Then I'd found out that
my wife had also been reading it. Since twenty thirteen,
I am still trying to find the right time to
slow down and connect with God on a daily basis.
(15:46):
I have seasons where I do really well for several
weeks and then I'll miss a couple days, and I
think that's okay too, But you know, it's a marathon,
and I think that's what it's supposed to be. And
you just have to attack every day as a new
day and try to spend that time. Jesus listens, February sixteenth.
(16:11):
Gentle Jesus, you've been teaching me that there is no
randomness about my life. Here and now comprise the coordinates
of my daily life. The present moment is not only
the point at which my time intersects eternity. It is
the place where I encounter you, my eternal Savior. Every
(16:31):
moment of every day is alive with your glorious presence.
Help me to keep my thoughts focused on you, enjoining
your presence here and now. I find that the more
time I spend communicating with you, the less I worry.
This frees me to let your spirit direct my steps,
guiding my feet into the way of peace in your
(16:53):
guiding name.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
To learn more about Chris Blair, visit Chris Blair dot com.
And to keep up with the latest shows at the
Listening Room, visit Listeningroom Cafe dot com. Stay tuned to
Cindy Thompson's story after a brief message. Teens today face
(17:19):
more pressure than ever if you're looking for a way
to bring calm, clarity, and faith into their everyday lives.
The new teen edition of Jesus Calling is here to help.
This well loved teen edition has been refreshed with a
brand new, modern cover, making it even more inviting for
today's teens. Jesus Calling for Teens is a three hundred
(17:40):
and sixty five day devotional and cuts through the noise
of an overwhelming world. Each short entry offers peace when
anxiety creeps in and comfort when they feel alone. Every
day brings them grounding scripture, gentle biblical guidance, and a
moment to pause and connect with Jesus in a meaningful way.
The teen edition is perfect for building morning quiet time,
(18:01):
youth groups, small groups, or simply building a steady daily
rhythm with God and with Jesus Calling. Available for adults
and kids, families can grow together and share the journey.
If a teen in your life is looking for direction, reassurance,
or a deeper relationship with Jesus, this devotional gives them
daily reminders that they're seeing, loved and never alone. Find
(18:22):
the teen Edition of Jesus Calling wherever books are sold.
Our next guest is Cindy Thompson, a country artist who
saw her Nashville dream come true with her debut album
My World and the hit song What I Really Meant
to Say.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
At the height of her career, when.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place, Cindy began
to sense God leading her in a completely different direction.
What followed was a powerful journey of trust, surrender, and
rediscovering her identity beyond the stage.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Well, my name is Cindy Thompson, originally from South Georgia.
I moved to Nashville over twenty five years a guyer
to follow my dream of being a country music singer.
It's what I'd always wanted to do since I was
twelve years old. I grew up in Tifton, Georgia, and
(19:18):
it was a beautiful experience. I was allowed to dream
in my house and Jesus was a big part of
our conversation on a daily basis. I was bullied pretty
severely in middle school. Deep down inside, I didn't really
want to be seen. I was just a quiet little
girl who just wanted to disappear. I had a great
home life. My parents were very much on the pulse
(19:39):
at that time in my life and for me I
felt very loved at home. I was very confident, but
that whole experience really just changed me. I thought, well,
I'll play clarinet. My sister was in the marching band.
It's a big band. I can disappear, and so I did.
I joined the band, but I was a terrible clarinet player.
I was last chair. And one afternoon the choir teacher
(20:01):
came in and she said, is Cindy Thompson in here?
And this was a huge class, and I eventually raised
my hand. I was a little timid and afraid, and
she asked me to step outside. And this is really
where I began to dream bigger for myself. She said
to me, in the whole way, I heard that you
could sing. And I said, well, I don't know if
(20:22):
I can sing, and she said, well, come with me.
We're going to go into my class. We walked into
the choir class where all the cool kids were, and
she put me in front of the piano and began
to play all these scales, one after the other, and.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
She asked me to sing them back, and they got.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Harder and harder and harder, and I did them all
and she said to me that day she's like, I
don't care what you do with your clarinet.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
That's your chair over there.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
We eventually changed my classes and she told my parents
she's a star. It was hard for me to understand
because they had come out of that bullying experience and
I didn't know what I was. And she was the
first person to really call out what God had put.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
On my life.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
She saw annoying that I didn't see, and I needed
a teacher like that in my life. That is when
I really began to dream about music, and she was
the catalyst. I had written all the songs and obviously
gotten the record deal at Capital, and for me, success
(21:26):
first and foremost was that that I actually was able
to achieve a dream that I felt God had planted
in my heart, which was to move to Nashville and
get a record deal. And what made it even better
was that Capital believed in my songs that I'd written
and allowed me to be very much a part of
the project. You want your song to reach the top
(21:48):
of the charts. You want to receive the accolades and awards,
because you know that in a way does signify that
you were recognized for your hard work and your art,
and so for me, those were kind of the things
that mattered. I just knew that it that point, being
on a label and having my songs on a record
(22:09):
meant so much to me. When I made the choice
to leave the music industry, it wasn't haphazard, it wasn't overnight.
It was a process that I really didn't share with anyone.
It was like I had this big secret that I
couldn't tell anyone. Because I had reached my ultimate dream
and I had successful music. I was being called the
(22:31):
it girl, and I was having meetings with corporations about
representing products. There were so many things happening that you
dream about. But deep down inside, I was having panic attacks.
I was depressed. I was on anti depressants. I was
having my heart monitored every week. I was in so
much pain, and I didn't understand why, because what I
(22:52):
was walking out was so beautiful, and to the outside world,
you look at that and you think, wow, that's amazing,
and it was in so many ways.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
But I always say that fame is unnatural.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
It doesn't mean that we can't be fame, or that
God doesn't put us in physicians to represent him.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Or be a light to the world. But for me
at that.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Time, I just knew that if I didn't walk away,
I don't know what would happen. You know, looking back now,
it was self preservation and it was obviously the Lord's
hand on my life. So that decision came with much prayer,
and I remember having this moment where I was like, Okay, Lord,
if you really want me to do this, I need
(23:33):
something supernatural from you only. I didn't include other people
in this decision because I didn't want them to have
the pressure of the yes or the no, or me
walking away or not walking away. Right, it was a
private conversation with me the Lord. It was a private
wrestle with me and him because he had ultimately given
me the dream. I remember on the back of the
(23:55):
bus one night, just breaking down and I just really
felt the Lord say, walk away. You can trust me
with this. I never ask you to do anything I
don't complete in your life life.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
And I said no.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
So I kept working, I kept going, and it was
this moment where I asked, Lord, give me something supernatural,
and it happened. I was in an airport. My flight
was delayed. I was with my band and they went
to grab lunch and I was just sitting there with
my husband. He was reading a newspaper and I'd gotten
a new self help book. I thought, maybe this one
will help me figure out my life. And I was
(24:30):
seeking the Lord and praying and I look over about
two gates down. Those both were closed, but there was
a woman, an African American woman in her late eighties,
being wheeled up to this gate and just kind of
pushed facing the wall. And she was left there by
the airline employee and she was trying to move her wheelchair.
(24:51):
And I thought, this so strange that someone would do
that to somebody, and so I said to my husband, look,
that's so strange. It looks like she has to go somewhere.
And he said, well, maybe he should go help her.
And I was like, no, I have a self help book.
No one's going to call me on my phone. They
think on a flight like I got some rest here. No, no, no,
And it just wouldn't shake. So I kept looking and
(25:12):
I finally got up and I went over to her
and I said, ma'am, do you need to go somewhere?
And she said yes, honey, I need to go to
the bathroom. And I said, well, I can take you
and so we began to walk in this busy airport
and I had to push her through the traffic of
the airport. Right, everyone was going to where they needed
to be in this busy world that we live in,
and I remember just thinking, how am I going to
(25:34):
get over there?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
It's crazy in this airport.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So I just started pushing her through the traffic, and
immediately I encountered this young girl who just looked so
mad at me for getting in her way, and I thought,
that's kind.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Of who I'm becoming.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
It's just a quick moment.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Right, this is all happening fast, but also felt like
it was slow motion. And again I've not spoken one
word to this woman except by saying, can I take
you somewhere?
Speaker 1 (26:00):
And I said, why, I can take you right my flight?
Speaker 5 (26:02):
So lay So I get in this bathroom there's no
one in there, and I help her get into a
stall and she's just thanking me. We're not really talking
at all, and she comes out. I help her get
in the wheelchair and she grabs both in my hands
and she says to me, you need to make the
(26:22):
choices that make you happy in life.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
You need to be happy, And immediately I knew it
was the Lord.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
He had used someone to get my attention that I
hear you, and I've given you something today to show
you that it's okay to make this decision. I knew
without a doubt what I was going to do. I
went back at her settled, went back to sit with
my husband, and I said, I'm going to walk away.
I'm officially doing this. And so that's when the real
journey began, meeting with my label, walking away, and immediately
(26:56):
everything stopped. After I left my career, there was a
moment in time where I was just thinking what's next
and just sitting with the Lord in this decision I made,
because literally everything stopped. There was no tour bus, there
(27:18):
were no interviews, there was no flights, there was no
red carpets. It was all gone and it was very quiet.
You know, I think that time with the Lord on
a daily basis can either make or break your day.
I mean, how many times we can call it out
by the end of the day, Like, you know, I
didn't spend my time with the Lord. You just know it.
(27:41):
It just runs so differently when you do. I was
trying to remember when I got my first Jesus Calling Book.
It was many years ago, and it really was so
important to my daily routine. It was helpful because I
think a lot of times we get intimidated by the
Bible itself, like where do I start?
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Where do I go? You know, and if you're not
in a study or.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
You don't have a devotional in front of you, that
can be intimidating. And so it was so helpful for
me on those days when I just really needed to
hear from the Lord, just such an encouragement as a
daily devotional with scripture included. I got a call to
come and speak at a girl's ministry to share my
testimony and to sing.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I said yes right away.
Speaker 5 (28:29):
I remember thinking, Okay, this ministry provides a home for
girls who've been through very traumatic situations.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
It's not a large home.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
They only accept so many at a time because they
really focus on healing them.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
And it's a beautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
And the more I thought about accepting this opportunity, I thought,
I can't go there.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I had a great upbringing, I had loving parents. I've
got a record deal.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I let my record deal go, Like, why would any
of them relate to me? In fact, they're probably gonna
hate me. I don't want to do this, and so
the enemy just would it stop saying these things to me.
Up until the night before I was supposed to go.
They're not going to care. They don't need you to come,
and I kept thinking, you're right, you're right, I don't
(29:14):
need to do this. This is crazy, But I committed
and I went, and I meet the head of the
ministry and she says, you know, we're kind of on
a strict schedule. They have to be in bed by
nine o'clock, so just as long as you share your story,
you should have time for one song, and then that
would be great. And I'm like, okay, we've got it.
So as the girls start to trickle in, I could
(29:35):
see the girls that probably were new and kind of
mad about their situation and didn't really want to be
there listening to a speaker. And then there was one
girl that came in and sat at the very front
row and just was staring at me. And I shared
my testimony as saying my song, and then realized the
ministry had said, you have time for one more song. Well,
(29:57):
we've not worked on another one. So I looked at
my husband and said, what do you want to do.
We didn't work on anything, and he said, I've got
an idea. Let's do this song. So as it began
to sing that song, that girl in the front row
began to weep and weep. When I finished the song
and said, you know, goodbyes to some of the people
that work there, she lingered and asked if I could
(30:18):
sit with her, So I said absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
We sat down.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Now that weekend I would have been at the ACM
Awards that exact night.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
It would have been the year that we would have.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Prepped for nominations and all the things you do in
that second year being an artist. I was projected to
have maybe have some nominations. And so here I was
sitting at this ministry the night that I would have
been at the ACM Awards, with this beautiful young girl,
and she said to me, when I found out it
was you, I couldn't believe it. I ran up here
(30:52):
and I looked through the window and I ran in
my bedroom and began to pray. She said, I've wanted
to meet you my whole life, and I prayed that
you would sing that song because it was attached to
memory as to why I'm in here to this relationship
she shouldn't have been in. That was their song, and
she said, God, if she just sings it one more time,
(31:14):
I can have a new memory attached to that song.
And at this point I'm crying because I feel the
Lord saying to me, Cindy, I know where you would
have been, but I care about the one, and it
was just a beautiful story of you know, God really
does care about the one and he'll go to any
length to reach them.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
To learn more about Cindy Thompson, visit www dot Cindy
Thompson dot com. If you'd like to hear more stories
about what happens when we put others first. Check out
our interview with old friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. Next time
on the Jesus Calling podcast, well hear from Christian artist
(32:00):
Jeremy Risotto, who you may recognize from his appearances on
American Idol and The Voice. Jeremy opens up about his
journey to the stage, have his music as a window
into his heart and a story of family, faith and
the moments that shape us.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I never thought in a million years I'd do The Voice,
but my God has done exceedingly Abundon more than I saw.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
And it wasn't because I was the best singer in
the world or anything like that.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
It was because I knew that God was.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Doing this and He wasn't wasting this opportunity for me.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Thanks for listening to the Jesus Calling Stories of Faith
podcast on the Live Audio Network. Every week, we'll bring
you stories from people who share their journeys of faith
and how prayer and a relationship with God transformed their lives.
Be sure to follow us on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or
wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave us a review
(32:55):
so others can be inspired weekly by these stories of faith. Finally,
you can find encouragement resources and more on the Jesus
Calling website at Jesus Calling dot um.
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