Tonight a bunch of us from Mosaic Nashville went to hear Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What, speak at the Belcourt Theatre.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. So much hype has surrounded Blue Like Jazz… that always makes me nervous about a book. Is it really as good as they say? Will I be disappointed in it because it didn’t meet the expectations I created based on all I heard? For that matter, just because a person can write doesn’t mean they’ll be a talented public speaker.

So I went with mixed emotions and dialed down expectations.

I arrived a few minutes before the event was to begin because the "short nap" I’d chosen to take after getting home from work around 3:30p turned into a deep sleep from which Adria had some difficulty awaking me. She’d gone on ahead of me to meet up with our group and secure us a good place in line. However, I arrived to chaos; a sea of people and cars flooding 21st Avenue around the Belcourt. Turns out twice as many people had showed up as could fit in the theatre. Thankfully, the Belcourt’s management shifted their schedule and allowed Don — who also graciously shifted schedules — to speak twice. 7pm and 9pm. Even then, however, many of us didn’t get "tickets" to the 9pm show (the event was free, but tickets secured you a seat). One of our group decided not to go after he got his ticket, and go graciously gave his ticket to me.

It was worth the wait and the hassle.

Donald Miller is an exceptional writer, a dynamic speaker, a witty man, a kid at heart and a wise follower of Jesus. He spoke words that both confirmed my own experience and enlightened my mind to new truths. I left wanting to talk on for hours about all that he’d said, and yet at the same time deeply desiring to get alone with God and meditate on all that I’d just heard.

Only one other speaker has had that kind of effect on me. Erwin. That says a lot about Donald Miller. I hope his books are as good as he is in person.