And will we ever forget ridin' on the "Soooul Train"?
My mom had the AM radio blasting in our VW Bug.
We'd be declarin' with Carly's attitude: "You're so vain"...
We were "Stayin' Alive" with the Bee Gees.
My Sis crooned to her favorite, "He ain't heavyyyyyy. He's my brother."
The reader must understand that she did this one song for hours at a time while roller skating in our unfinished basement. Never did get that. Really.
It did, however, beat by a landslide her version of "More than a Woman" to me...
We considered the ultimate predicament with B.J. Thomas: "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head. Just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed." (Wow. That is rather serious.)
We pondered with Karen, "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are near?" (St. Francis of Assisi-esque, huh?)
We would have rather lived "in his world, than live without him in mine" with Gladys. Nothin' tops swayin' to the "Midnight Train to Georgia."
Our lives were simply saturated with melody and rhythm. And it continues today with our kids. The recording artists change, but the power of music?
It's timeless.
Think Karaoke.
Rock Band.
Guitar Hero.
There's just somethin' about the influence of music on our lives.
Red Auerbach, voted one of the NBA's ten best coaches in history said, "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
Did you catch that? Take it in, cuz it's good.
Martin Luther laid it out like this: "I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us." The guy was never one to hold back, was he?
While I may never go as far as that whole takin' no pleasure in anyone... bit, I will agree with him on this: Music is, unequivocally, an amazing gift from an Awesome God.
Music gets down into our soul.
It lifts our spirits.
It changes the atmosphere.
That's also what the Word of God does, if we let it.
It gets down deep in our souls.
It grabs hold of our spirit.
It changes us from the inside out.
Which, in turn, transforms the atmosphere.
Our heart begins to beat with an entirely new rhythm... His.
We sway to an exciting, fresh movement... His Spirit.
The full counsel of God's Word is strong, from start to finish.
Yet, there are moments when you know that you know.
A verse literally leaps out of the page and takes up residence in your very core.
It's beyond tangible.
The Father tenderly points out,"That's your Word, Child."
"Pure and genuine..."
And it resonates inside us.
And it won't let go... and we don't ever want it to.
And divinely-placed passion begins to rise up...
We cry out to be used by God for His Purpose.
And He invites us to gaze at the Cross once more.
We find ourselves face down.
Surrendered.
Some of us even hear ourselves singing along with Matthew West: "I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day. Without Your all-consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, 'What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?'"
And deep down we know when somehow those words move from humming along as we ease on down the road - to an absolute conviction about how we want to Live Out Loud for Jesus Christ.
And the zeal only swells as the Word literally ricochets around every fiber of who we are.
Undeniable.
Immeasurable.
Indisputable.
"Pure and genuine religion in sight of God, our Father..."
And then He pours His love into our lives ...beyond what can even fit in our skin.
And whispers into our spirit what breaks His heart.
And calls us to be His mercy. His compassion. His care.
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..."
Irrefutable.
Unquestionable.
No more excuses.
No turnin' back.
It's like a song that we just can't shake.
It's stuck. The lyric. The melody. The cadence.
I vividly remember the exact moment - just prior to clicking "send" on our initial adoption agency application. Bill looked me in the eyes, and asked me this: "Assuming we go through this whole thing and are blessed with a daughter on the other side of this...
Will you be able to move on?"
I am humbly smiling (actually mortified to admit this) so big that my cheeks hurt as I recall my honest answer. "Yes, of course!"
I foolishly assumed that the refrain repeating over and over in my head would rest the moment our family grew to five.
Then along came Kourtny.
She was finally home... a beloved daughter.
Thank You, Lord...a miracle right before our very eyes.
But, you know what?
Her identity was changed completely for all time.
Yet, God's unrelenting directive to care for orphans remained the same.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. My God.
God, Who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
"Pure and genuine religion
in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans
and widows in their distress..."
There it was. Playing again in my heart.
Each member of the our family could hear it in galvanizing harmony.
"So capture my heart again. Take me to depths I’ve never been....into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy. Return me to the Cross. Let me be completely lost in the wonder of the love that You’ve shown me. Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things. Let all my dreams fall to the ground until this one remains:
You are everything I want. You are everything I need. I want You to be my one consuming passion...everything my heart desires. Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus. Be my Magnificent Obsession."
Seeking Him ~ and loving Him ~ with all our heart, soul, mind and strength has enlarged our vision for those who feel forgotten. Everything they have witnessed tells them so. But that's not the end of the story. God calls us to be His solution.
Brooke Fraser penned the bridge that is sung in churches all over this nation:
God has lovingly done just that... gently broken our hearts for children who ache with everything inside of them for a family.
His Word is clear on this. We are God's plan. Each of us is called to seek justice for "the least of these." Countless children remain at risk today because they have little or no access to basic needs, including food, clothing, clean water, education. Even worse, they live without hope for day or dreams for tomorrow... without the saving, redeeming, healing power of the Gospel.
Commit with us to pray daily for these children. And we invite you to ask the Lord how you can be His solution. Yes, you.
Sympathy is no substitute for actually doing something when God the Father has already provided unambiguous instruction. The cause of the most broken in our world is not just one of those "things that make you go 'hmmmm'."
It's a clarion call "to step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is, and He's holdin' out His hand."
Pray about how you can be His love, His care, His "Voice of Truth" to those who are being crushed by injustice. And that these little ones would know that they are beloved and "Spoken For" by a God who has always loved them and has never let go.
Pray and then do something. Grab a friend, find an orphan care ministry, and do something.
Perhaps, just maybe, the Lord would speak to you of the awesome, immeasurable blessing of adoption. It's the heart of the Gospel.
Imagine it. Precious little eyes, who once only knew loneliness and fear now look into yours. And he finds acceptance, goodness, and love looking right back. And in your arms, she knows it's for keeps. In your embrace - is found the Simply Irresistible love of Jesus. And His love? ... It's for eternity.
My prayer is the when God nudges you, and He will, that you will sing back, just like Jason Mraz... "I won't hes-i-tate no more, no more. It can not wait. I'm sure."
Because there are too many kids waiting to sing along with Kelz, Karly, and Kourty as they belt out with Natasha Beddingfield: "I've gotta pocket, gotta pocket full of sunshine. I've gotta love and I know that it's all mine ~ oh, oh, oh, oh!"
Precious children in His sight are waiting to chime in with the artist formerly known as Hootie: "When I lay down at night, I thank the Lord above, for giving me everything I could ever dream of...I've got all I need. And it's alright by me."
And we've all gotta agree with Mariah: "There can be miracles, when you believe."
