The Joshua Tree

Thirty years ago, long before there were radio stations like KLove that played contemporary christian music, there was a band from Ireland called U2. They wrote anthems for my generation, with lyrics like "You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains, carried the cross and all my shame." Bono sang of love and struggle and pain, and he wasn't afraid to speak of faith. And in a time when all we had were a few bands like Stryper (sorry, Stryper!), they filled a huge void.

They made an album called "The Joshua Tree", and it was a long love letter to America.

And thirty years ago, I went to a U2 concert in Detroit to hear the band play the music from The Joshua Tree live. It was a big deal.

Little did I know at the time that the man I would love, who would one day be my husband, was also at that concert. And I would meet him just a few months after that event. This guy.

Thirty years ago. Wow.

This weekend, my husband surprised me with tickets to see U2 perform music from The Joshua Tree at the Ford Field. Back in Detroit, where it all started.

It was the perfect way to cap off our homecoming summer.

I love this man. And this month, I've been loving him for thirty years.

We've had a great summer, and we're sorry to see it go. But we're also excited for what God has in store for us in the future.

And who knows? Maybe in thirty years, we will see U2 perform again. :)