Last week we attended a wedding reception at “The Pritchards” for their son and his bride who had been married in Michigan last month. We met Joel’s mom, Lois, many years ago when she spent 3 months in our community in Belfast when single, and then when we moved to America, ‘lois and behold!’ we found ourselves living ‘just down the street’ from Lois, Tom and their young family!
Joel has grown up a fine young man whose ‘Christ- light’ has shone in the ‘Special Forces’ and who is now pursuing a career in Federal justice.
I was tickled when I heard that on the morning of his wedding as he was getting ready he choose my songs as his background music!
One of the greatest joys I have experienced is to participate or hear reports like this, about how the songs ‘Abba’ has given me have played a role in people’s landmark life events such as births, deaths and marriages.
‘Geoff’s Song’ on the Ascent album for example was inspired by a man who attended a retreat I lead in Colorado where he was introduced to the song ‘Good Mornin’ Dad’.
At the time he was suffering from a terminal disease and knew he had only a short time to live. Subsequently, after driving his son to school each morning, the two would then pause and sit and listen to the recording of ‘Good Mornin’ Dad’ together, before saying farewell.
‘I open my eyes,
I see your smiling face
Warming my heart,
Good mornin’ Dad!’
Geoff wanted his son to know that when his earthly father had said his final farewell and was no longer present to him in this life, his heavenly ‘Dad’ would still be there…… smiling on him.
After Geoff died the family invited me to return to Colorado to sing at the funeral. The Lord subsequently gave me ‘Geoff’s Song.’ likening Geoff’s experience in the valley of the shadow of death with Jacob’s as he prepared to encounter his angry brother Esau and his own possible demise. (Ex 30)
Both men had a transformational experience – as in their wrestling with God they beheld the true ‘face of God’
At the end of the evening at the Pritchard’s home I pulled out my guitar.
“What would you like me to sing Joel?” I asked.
“Always With You” was his immediate reply.
That song taken from Psalm 73 is of course the inspiration for this blog’s title and subtitle:
BeLOnGings
……..and being with you nothing else I desire.
It is a most appropriate song for these days in which we live when God is increasingly exposing the evil in this world, and also appropriate for Joel……who out of a pure heart desires to participate in seeing godly justice restored on earth.
Since singing it that night I have found the song ‘on repeat’ in my mind for the Soundtrack that rises up by the Spirit is not meant to be just for meetings or landmark events, but an accompaniment that we ‘live’ by.
The recording of that song, also on “The Ascent”, is a beautiful production by Paul McAree. We are so pleased these songs are being listened to by Joel’s generation……. and are now available to them and you via Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and Amazon!