Precious Moments and Outlaw Country

Aren’t Precious Moments figurines horrendous? 

I apologize.  What kind of monster couldn’t love their big, harmless, non-threatening, pastel-colored, dopey eyes?

This one.  I’m a big believer in unvarnished truth.  I’m not trying to pretend I always operate without hypocrisy on this point, but I pay a big internal price when I run up against it.

There’s just nothing real or gritty about a Precious Moments statue.  Yes, babies and children are precious, but I’ve never seen one so quietly peaceful that they are frozen by their eternal state of content.  

The prayerful ones are particularly offensive.  When I pray, it’s about as far away from precious as it gets.  It can be accusatory.  It can be confrontational.  It can also be full of gratitude and praise.  But it is never “precious.”

Last night was one of the most unprecious moments of prayer I have ever had.  The last few days have been a little rough, but last night was nearly unspeakable.  I felt the shadows over my shoulder and I wasn’t sure if I could outrun them this time.  I felt my step faltering, my grip loosening. 

So I cried out from the bottom.  The ugly, hot lava core of myself.  I’m not even sure I got out a complete sentence other than the familiar, internal wail: “help me.”

The morning was a little better, as it always is.  I woke to find out happily, and not without surprise, that all my balls were still in the air and I was going to be able to stay under them and keep them going today.

This is probably one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I know what it did to my heart.  I’m satisfied that God reached down to wipe my tears in that beautiful way of his.  If no one else gets it, no matter.  This, he did for me. 

I was listening to the Outlaw Country channel on my Sirius radio.  Nice and holy, huh?  Here are the lyrics to two songs played back to back. 

Storms never last do they baby
Bad times all pass with the wind
Your hand in mine stills the thunder
And you make the sun want to shine.

You followed me down so many roads baby
I’ve picked wild flowers and sung you soft sad songs
And every road we took God knows
Our search was for the truth
And the clouds brewing now won’t be the last.

Storms never last do they baby
Bad times all pass with the wind
Your hand in mine stills the thunder
And you make the sun want to shine.

–(Storms Never Last, Jessi Colter)

________________________________

For you, there’ll be no more crying,
For you, the sun will be shining,
And I feel that when I’m with you,
Its alright, I know its right

To you, Ill give the world
To you, Ill never be cold
cause I feel that when I’m with you,
Its alright, I know its right.

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before, like never before.

–(Songbird, Performed by Willie Nelson)

 

 

~ by nonamiss on May 20, 2008.