the song below (way below) was sung and made famous by randy travis.
even though it's really meant to be a love song, it's special to me
it was the first song i learned the words to
it is one of my earliest memories with my daddy
it is what i remember singing in his blazer, singing in his green bass boat
it has a soothing effect on me the way songs do when they stir up old memories
it was the song we danced to on the night I got married ... me and daddy
it speaks of "forever and ever" ... what I'm looking forward to in eternity with Jesus (again, not the original intent of the song as it's written, but hey ... these are just my out of context attachments!)
I'm feeling especially nostalgic today ... maybe because it's Christmastime, maybe because it's bee a couple weeks since both of my grandmothers went to Heaven, maybe simply because this song played on my Pandora station earlier. Whatever the reason, when it played I was flooded with emotion. Emotion that I can't quite put into words. Lots of things are going to be different this year at Christmas for my family.
events
traditions
people
There is, though, one thing that remains ...
love.
You see, my family - we love each other. Despite differences, arguments, and the faults we (all too easily) find in each other, we've always been good at loving. We haven't always been good at showing it, but it's always been there. You can't hide the fact that we love each other. It's something that you feel when we're together. Those feelings can't be "faked" or covered up when they are there ... truly and genuinely there. I love it. We love the memories that shaped us as we grew up - songs like the one I've put the words for below. We love the friends we've made in each other. We love the chance to get together and spend time with each other. We simply, seemingly despite all odds, love each other.
But most of all
the thing that we love most about each other
the thing that we value in each other
the thing that we all share together in very different but exactly the same ways
is the love we have for our Lord, Jesus Christ and the confidence we have in the knowledge of the love He has for each of us.
Sharing that love with my husband, my parents, my sisters, my in-laws, my grandmothers, and the list goes on ... it's unexplainably hopeful, encouraging, and comforting. It's what I spend much of my prayer time wanting for people that I know to be able to experience. It's what gets us through tough situations together ... unchanged ... because no matter what the events in this world are, all that matters is love.
Why am I telling you this? Who asked me about my family? What does this matter?
Because it's Christmas, because I want to encourage you to spend genuine/transparent/quality time with your family/because I want you to know the love that's out there available to you!
it is SO joyful
During this season, people celebrate lots of things. The most important is the true meaning of Christmas ... My family is celebrating God's love for us in that he came by sending His Son to start His earthly life knowing that it would end for the purpose of saving us. Love that big is almost incomprehensible, the fact that a father would willingly give up his son for someone else. Big love. In light of the recent tragedy in CT, that's hard for a lot of people to understand. Crazy love. There's nothing you can do to earn it or to deserve it, but it's there for you if you choose to believe. Free love.
Merry Christmas!
Forever And Ever Amen
Randy Travis
You may think that I’m talking foolish
You've heard that I’m wild and I’m free
You may wonder how I can promise you now
This love that I feel for you always will be
But you’re not just time that I’m killing
I'm no longer one of those guys
As sure as I live, this love that I give
Is gonna be yours until the day that I die
Oh baby I’m gonna love you forever
Forever and ever amen
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather
As long as old women sit and talk about old men
If you wonder how long I’ll be faithful
I'll be happy to tell you again
I'm gonna love you forever and ever
Forever and ever amen
They say time takes its toll on a body
Makes a young girl's brown hair turn gray
Honey I don't care I ain't in love with your hair
And if it all fell out well I’d love you anyway
They say time can play tricks on a memory
Make people forget things they knew
Well it's easy to see it's happenin to me
I've already forgotten every woman but you
Oh darlin’ I'm gonna love you forever
Forever and ever amen
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather
As long as old women sit and talk about old men
If you wonder how long I'll be faithful
Just listen to how this song ends
I'm gonna love you forever and ever
Forever and ever amen
I'm gonna love you forever and ever
Forever and ever
Forever and ever
Forever and ever amen
