Gentle Reader,
Kate and the gang, writing together for five minutes each Friday. Today we: welcome.
Go.
I didn’t have a choice about being a Whitney Houston fan. Her first album came out in February 1985, shortly before my mom turned 20. I was 6 months old. Her voice was always there. In high school a friend of mine would put on sunglasses and sing “Queen of the Night,” complete with dance moves. My first exposure to Ben Rector was his cover of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Whitney Houston had problems, sure. Her proclaimed faith and the way she lived often stood in marked contrast. She made some terrible choices. But that woman could SING. She was absolutely gifted by God.
This week’s prompt has me thinking about this song in particular, one that has become a new favorite of mine:
The beauty of this song lies in the message behind the lyrics. When we turn to the Rock, when we go to God in complete honesty and cry out to Him for salvation, for comfort, for guidance, for protection – we will always be welcome. He will never turn us away.
The welcome mat is always before His door.
Stop.
Yes, she was gifted and her having faith did not stop her from also having substance abuse issues. The terrible irony is that faith in and acknowledgement of a higher power is the only time-proven method of restoring a soul damaged by drugs, alcohol, and who knows what else, to sanity, sobriety, and the path of continual repentance. I wish she had clung to the garments of God just a little bit longer and a little bit harder.
“I will always love you” still brings tears to my eyes.
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I so agree with you, James. I don’t doubt her faith at all. Somehow she got on a bad road and just never could quite get off of it. My hope is that she’s in Heaven, belting out praises to God.
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My favorite song is “I Look To You”. Somehow the words, “My levy is broken, my walls comin’ down ring so true on many days. Thanks for reminding me.
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