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Awaken the Dawn, not just another worship event
In October 2017, Peggy invited me to join her at Awaken the Dawn, a national worship gathering on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where she would be speaking at the Georgia Tent of Meeting. But this wasn’t just another worship event; this was a movement of 24/7 praise, worship, and intercessory prayer, calling for a new spiritual awakening across America. They dubbed it America’s Tent of Meeting. Could this be the next great Jesus Movement?
Tens of thousands of people and 1,700 worship teams, representing every state, would be in attendance for the weekend-long event, along with millions more who would be live-streaming the event from around the world. The Awaken the Dawn movement was being referred to as a Jesus Woodstock for a New Generation.
“Bring your voice.” “Bring your song.” And “bring your flute!” Peggy said to me.
When the Door Closed, Love Opened Another
Although it was uncertain whether I could participate, Peggy encouraged me to apply to perform with one of the worship teams.
I submitted my application—hopeful, but unsure.
A few days later, the reply came:
Application denied.
And to make matters worse, there were no accommodations available near the event.
Peggy, however, had already booked her flight.
She was scheduled to land at Ronald Reagan Airport at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 6.
“Would you consider meeting me there?” she asked. As a single woman attending such a large event alone, she was hoping for some spiritual support. “
Even if you can only stay for a few hours,” she continued,
“your being there and lifting me up in prayer would mean the world.”
How could I say no? My heart longed to see her again, even for just a short while.
“I’d love to,” I said.
“I look forward to it!”
And I truly did.
I was genuinely excited to see her again, even if only briefly.
The drive from New Jersey passed quickly, carried along by one thought: Peggy.
When she arrived, I spotted her and waved. She smiled.
“So good to see you,” I said, then took her bags and gave her a warm hug.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Anywhere,” she said with a smile.
We found a park nearby on the Potomac River with picnic tables. It was a beautiful fall day, warm temperatures in the 80s, with a few clouds floating lazily overhead. We ate lunch and prayed together before her event.
Time flew, and soon it was too late for me to head back to New Jersey. As I did not have a hotel reservation, Peggy suggested that I inquire at the Airbnb where she was staying.
Thankfully, they could accommodate me.
And yes—I had packed clothes… and my flute.
Flute in Hand, Faith in Motion
The next morning, we stumbled upon a COSI restaurant for breakfast before heading to the Georgia tent, where Peggy was scheduled to speak.
I hung around for a little while, but eventually set off on my own to explore with my flute in hand, hoping for an opportunity to play.
I wandered from one state tent to another, listening to singers, musicians, and worship leaders perform.
At the Eastern Regional tent, I poked my head inside and asked the sound guy, “Hey, do you mind if I join you guys?” feeling confident that I could lend my flute to familiar worship songs I had played before.
I held up my flute, but he shook his head. “Sorry, fella. You have to get permission from the main registration tent.”
Disappointed, but not discouraged, I moved on. Eventually, I wandered to the New Jersey tent, where a small, casual group of musicians had gathered to perform.
“Mind if I join you?” I asked, hopefully again.
They welcomed me warmly, and I played along.
as time went on, my enthusiasm began to fade.
I felt disconnected from the group, hoping for a deeper, more inclusive, and rewarding experience.
The session felt too casual, almost like a way to pass the time.
I guess I had been longing for something more challenging and inspiring. But this wasn’t it.
That’s when my phone buzzed. It was Peggy:
“Where are you?” She asked. I have an assignment for you. And hurry!”
I packed up my flute, and quickened my pace, sometimes briskly walking, sometimes breaking into a light jog as I made my way back to the Georgia tent, wondering what this urgent “assignment” might be.
The question kept pressing with every step, making me all the more eager to find out.
The First Time God Used Me
When I arrived, Peggy introduced me to a woman cradling a broken wrist in a cast. “Would you pray for her?” she asked.
I blinked, “Seriously?” I was completely caught off guard. I had never done anything like this before, and did not feel qualified. But then Peggy reminded me, “She has the same injury you had. And God told me you’re the one to pray for her.”
And just like that, it hit me: my own fractured wrist, Hurricane Sandy, and how God had miraculously healed me when I cried out in desperation. (See chapter titled “Into the Storm”)
Peggy looked at me, then said, “That same anointing is now on you.”
I looked at the woman’s right wrist; just like mine had been.
I hesitated. Doubt crept in.
What if nothing happens?
Somehow, Peggy must’ve sensed my unease. Without me even saying a word, she reassured me, “The healing is never up to you. You’re just the conduit; God does the healing.”
I took a deep breath, gently placed my hand on the woman’s wrist, and, together with Peggy, we prayed in the Name of Jesus for her complete healing and full restoration.
Already sensing in her spirit, Peggy asked the woman, perhaps for my benefit more than hers, “Did you feel anything? Any tingling sensation, any warmth … anything at all?
The woman nodded. “Yes,” she said. I felt warmth right where you laid your hand.”
Her words immediately brought me back to my own healing during Hurricane Sandy. I had been in desperate need of healing when I, too, had broken my wrist. I still remember the moment hands were laid on me and the fire I felt coursing up and down my arm. It wasn’t my imagination; it was real.
Now, here I was, years later. I felt the Lord had drawn me full circle, connecting my healing to hers, as if He had woven both moments together for His purpose.
.Peggy asked her, “Can you do something now you couldn’t do before?”
The woman carefully raised her arm and began to turn her wrist, testing it. I held my breath, just hoping, hoping against hope, as if there was the possibility of a miracle happening right before my eyes.
Then, a look of wonder and a smile came over her face.
“No pain!” she exclaimed, “It doesn’t hurt anymore!”
I stood there stunned. I had just witnessed a miracle.
And as it turned out, this was just the start of what would become an incredible weekend, full of moments just like this.
If God Wants You to Play
That afternoon, still riding the high of seeing the woman’s healing, Peggy and I made our way to the main registration tent, hoping that I might finally get permission to play.
But, once again, the answer was still “No.”
I was disappointed, but Peggy, undeterred, said, “Listen, if God wants you to play, which I believe He does, then no man can keep you from playing.
Back at the Georgia tent, a Cherokee Christian band was warming up. A crowd was gathering.
Peggy nudged me.
“Hey, why don’t you ask if you can join them?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, initially feeling anxious about possibly being rejected again.
“What if they say no? Besides, these guys were really, really good.”
“And you aren’t?” she said, eyebrow raised.
“Oh well, your loss. Do what you feel is right,” Peggy said.
She was right. What did I have to lose? If I didn’t take this chance, I’d miss the very reason I brought my flute to the event.
So, summoning my courage, I took my flute out of its case and raised it as a silent question to the lead singer.
He looked over, smiled, then waved me over.
“Sure, join us!”
Surprisingly, as soon as I stepped in, I found myself lost in one of the most spontaneous and Spirit-led sets I had ever played. My flute exchanged improvised passages back and forth with the saxophone player, creating a musical conversation I’ll never forget.
Afterward, the lead singer came over to me.
“Hey man, you killed it!” “How would you like to join us tomorrow morning on the Eastern Regional Stage? “
My heart leapt, and without hesitation, I enthusiastically replied with a big “Yes.”
I turned my head to look at Peggy, and she had the biggest smile on her face and said, “See what God did right there?”
Stage Fright and Surrender
The next morning, there I was standing on the Eastern Regional Stage, amazed at how God had turned everything around.
Isn’t that just like Him?
Taking me from feeling downcast and out, to opening doors that were once closed.
How cool is that?
But as more band members took their places, musicians I hadn’t played with the day before, a nervousness gripped my stomach.
There would be no warm-up, no rehearsal before the concert. Jumping in with an established group that already has chemistry felt… well, uncomfortable.
I couldn’t help but wonder how I would fit into their flow.
And to add to my nervousness, unlike yesterday’s relaxed, informal jam, I was now on a large stage set inside a massive tent, in front of hundreds of worshipers gathered for the concert.
It wasn’t the casual setting as it had been the day before.
This was real, public, live before a large audience.
The weight of it all began to settle on me:
No script,
No second chances.
Just faith, trust, and the music we’d create in the moment.
And I hate to admit it, stage fright?
Yep, it crept in.
As a performer, it wasn’t unusual to experience a touch of anxiety before facing an audience.
But usually, I’d rehearsed my parts, enough to build some confidence.
This time, though?
There was no sheet music. No rehearsal. No safety net.
Just a flute in my hands… and faith in my heart.
But, instead of turning my focus to God, my old self got in the way.
I found myself slipping into old habits, worrying about what the audience might think.
Their approval had become my measure of success, my reassurance; and, ironically, my limitation.
So here I was again, looking outward for validation, when I knew deep down, I should have been looking up, seeing myself through the eyes of the One who called me here in the first place.
When God Orders Our Steps—and the Sandwiches
The Monday after the event, it rained.
“Let’s go back to that restaurant we ate breakfast at yesterday,” I suggested to Peggy.
We circled the block endlessly in search of parking but came up empty.
So, we decided to try a different location for the same restaurant instead.
Eventually, we finally found a spot, three blocks away.
By now it was just drizzling.
“Should we go for it or find a closer place for breakfast?” I asked.
We paused for a moment, then agreed to walk the distance.
Little did we know, it was destined to be a God-ordained moment, perfectly timed with our arrival.
When we got inside, two women were standing in line ahead of us.
They invited us to go ahead of them since they were still undecided about what to order.
We moved in front of them and placed our orders.
Always eager to help, Peggy turned back to suggest a couple of menu items before we left the line.
The two women soon followed and took their seats at the table just behind ours.
When their food arrived, they offered a blessing and concluded with a heartfelt, “Amen.”
Then, one of them turned to us and asked, “Would you like to join us?”
It was the perfect segue.
With a perfect sense of knowing, Peggy asked, “Were you both at Awaken the Dawn this weekend?”
They nodded in acknowledgement, and one said they’d visited the Georgia tent.
Peggy lit up.
“Did you hear the Cherokee band?”
“Yes!” they said.
Then one of them recognized me. “
“Wait—you were the flutist, weren’t you?”
We all laughed, and introductions followed.
Their names were Linda and Kathy.
Interestingly, Linda shared that she had been scheduled for surgery that weekend but felt a powerful tug from God to attend the event instead.
What happened next was nothing short of miraculous.
Peggy, having no prior knowledge of Linda’s condition, suddenly sensed something deep in her spirit, specifically Linda’s hip.
This prompting is referred to as a word of knowledge, an insight from the Holy Spirit to reveal something that would otherwise not be known. Trusting this inner whisper, Peggy spoke up and mentioned it to Linda, then kindly offered to pray for her healing.
Linda, who was herself a pastor, recognizing Peggy’s ability to hear in the spirit, accepted her invitation to pray.
As part of their conversation about Linda’s injury, Peggy felt led to go deeper, gently asking Linda if there was anyone she needed to forgive, a step that, in many cases, unlocks the door to healing.
In that moment, Linda shared something deeply personal and, with tears in her eyes, forgave someone who was deeply personal to her.
Then, we prayed.
Afterward, Peggy encouraged Linda to test it out.
Linda stood up from the table, took a few steps, and then began walking. Her stride grew steady, confident, her gait completely normal.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she laughed as the reality of what had just happened sank in.
The pain and limitations she had been living with were gone.
She had been healed, all in the powerful Name of Jesus!
As she moved freely around the restaurant, Linda received a prophetic word for me.
When she got back to our table, she shared what would lay the foundation for what was to come for me
She described a vision, an image of me playing the flute.
But it wasn’t just skill she saw. It was the anointing of Almighty God through me as I played.
This is what she shared:
“Jesus has delivered me from the fear of man today and forever, I play with the anointing of Almighty God in the office of a psalmist. There is a fiery wall of protection around me, a shield of Goodwill, Pleasure, and Favor. When I play, the heavens open, and I see the smile of Jesus and tears of joy in the corner of His eyes. Demons flee at the sound of my playing, and people are delivered, healed, and slain in the Spirit. Doors open for me that I must walk through. If I don’t, Jesus will not be allowed there, and those people will suffer. Red Rock, The Philharmonic, and Carnegie Hall are only a few. To God be glory forever.”
A Sidewalk Wedding
When it was time for us to leave, we stepped outside the restaurant.
As we stood on the sidewalk, Linda suddenly turned to us and asked, “Are you two planning on getting married?”
Peggy and I exchanged surprised glances and nodded. We hadn’t expected the question, but yes, we were.
But still, it wasn’t something I was planning on rushing into. I figured we’d wait a couple of months, at least long enough for me to give my family a heads-up.
Besides, they hadn’t met Peggy yet, and I wanted their blessing and support.
And I could already hear the questions in their minds:
“Bill, do you even know this person?
What’s the rush?
Why don’t you give it a year; get to know her better?”
All reasonable questions.
But deep down, I knew. She was the one.
“Well, then … why not now?” Linda asked, as if it were the most natural, obvious thing in the world.
I thought: Married? Just like that?
It completely caught me by surprise, and I didn’t know what to say.
Peggy, ever the steady one, squeezed my hand. Maybe she sensed my unease. Maybe she felt my hesitancy.
But, just maybe, she believed deep down that it was the unfolding of God’s promise, even if it meant starting the journey a little early.
Before we could even respond, Linda said, “Bow your heads. I now pronounce you married.”
Then, perfectly serious, she added, “You may go now and consummate your marriage.”
Wait …what just happened?!
I was stunned.
It had all happened so fast; I could hardly wrap my mind around what had just unfolded.
Honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or pretend it never happened.
I felt strangely uncomfortable, and truthfully, nothing felt different.
I caught Peggy’s eye.
She seemed just as surprised as I was. Though she didn’t say it, I think deep down she was happy, like this was a pre-ordained moment, even if it wasn’t at all traditional.
I smiled and squeezed Peggy’s hand.
We said our goodbyes to Linda and Kathy, then parted our separate ways, or so it seemed, for the time being.
And just to be clear, no, we didn’t consummate a marriage. Let’s get that straight!
Peggy and I would officially tie the knot on December 3rd in Georgia. Reverend Linda Kelley Smith, the very same woman we met at the COSI restaurant who performed our sidewalk wedding, officiated the ceremony in front of witnesses, making it all official at last.
But our weekend didn’t end there. It would not be complete without another series of powerful healings, one of which occurred shortly after our informal sidewalk wedding.
Peggy and I were both casually strolling towards the White House when Peggy got a word of knowledge for a pastor standing nearby.
With boldness and compassion, she approached him, shared what God had revealed, and offered to pray for him.
He was so deeply touched by the encounter that he fell out in the spirit, right there on the street with people milling all around.
That’s my Peggy’s heart of compassion, boldly speaking life into anyone, anywhere.
Oh, and remember how I mentioned that we were fortunate to find a parking spot?
Well, turns out, we had unknowingly parked in a towaway zone.
Hours later, when we returned to our car, it was still there, miraculously, as we arrived just in the nick of time.
As we approached, we noticed valets busily parking cars next to our spot by the curb.
With our hearts pounding, Peggy and I dashed to the car and took off, just ahead of a tow truck arriving on the scene.
We both let out a deep sigh of relief, laughing at the absurdity of it all, and marveled at how God had brought us closer together that weekend.
What a weekend.
A sidewalk wedding.
A prophetic word.
Healing in the streets.
And a nearly towed car.
As we drove away, our hearts were too full of wonder at the unexpected twists of the day, healings, a prophecy, and perhaps, the first steps into a lifetime together.
Once again, His protection was evident in the smallest moments.
We couldn’t help but marvel at His faithfulness, even in the most unexpected circumstances.
It was yet another reminder that God’s timing is perfect, and He is always looking out for us, guiding us, and delivering us in ways we can’t always foresee.
That weekend, I thought I was just showing up to support Peggy.
But God had other plans.
He healed.
He opened doors.
And He spoke through strangers
What a mighty God we serve, one who sees the whole picture, moves in the unseen, and meets us right where we are.
Copyright 2025 by Bill Hutzel
ts to spend time at a vacation camp nestled in Prince William Forest, Virginia. It was called Camp Happyland—no joke, that was the real name, and it was run by the Salvation Army. The camp provided the patients with fresh air, a change of scenery, enjoyable activities, and a sense of freedom—a temporary reprieve from the usual institutional setting.
