Song Remembers When
Song Remembers When
There is an old saying that states, “You might not remember what the Pastor said, but you will remember what song you sang.” There is a lot of truth in that statement for me at times. Music has been the mainstay of my life since I was 12 years old. There are moments in my life that I remember exactly where I was and what songs were playing, such as the day Elvis died. When the song “One More Night” by Phil Collins plays, it takes me back to a snow-covered town in the middle of February in Canada.
I remember sitting in Willow Creek Church and hearing Chris Tomlin saying he had just written a song last night and he wanted to do it for us, and it was "How Great Is Our God."
I am sure there are songs that take you back to a certain time in your life that trigger a memory. I was asked a few months ago if I remember any specific night playing music on the road that stands out. Of all the nights, I remember a night in Melbourne, Florida in a club that seated 1,000 people. It was a Tuesday night and there might have been 25 people there. I remember we had just hired a new guitar player for the band. We played the best 1-hour set we had ever played, and we played as if there were 1,000 people there, but as I said, there were only 25. When we finished the set, the guitar player said, "Man, I cannot wait to see what happens with a full house." We did not know it at the time, but a booking agent was one of the 25 people in there that night. He began booking us the next week.
You never know what is in front of you if you don’t open your eyes and realize, this is the hand you have been dealt and make the most of it. God will show up and bless you when you least expect it, with abundance.
I look back on those times and realize there were many days that were not the best at all. We stayed in hotel rooms that I would not let my dog sleep in, we were hungry, poor, lonely, and were gone for months at a time. I think about all the family gatherings and special occasions we missed. At that time, there was such a passion for what we were doing. We were five guys on the road, living the dream (or a nightmare.) The drummer for the band and his wife recently came down and spent a week with Vicki and me. We have kept in touch over the 33 years it’s been since I left the road. He is a successful chicken farmer, owns a Pizza Inn, runs a sound production company, and has played drums for many country stars, including venues such as the Bridgestone Arena and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. We had a jam session while he was here, and we did songs that we have not done in 33 years, and we never missed a beat. Breaks, harmonies, and structures of songs we did without even blinking. They are woven into our memory.
During this Holiday season will you look back and have the memories which are woven into your memory and smile? When there is a house full of family and the laughter is loud, take the time and weave that moment into your memory. It’s not just a song that remembers when, it’s the moments we choose to take in and not let pass by. God has placed all these memories in front of you, it’s your option to choose to see them.
Isaiah 60:2
“My Presence, My Glory brightens the world around you.”
God Bless,
Mike