More than “Alright”

~

~

~

~

My tears just welled up over and over hearing them sing… hearing them tell why they would want to be baptized today.    I smiled as inspired people decided that although they hadn’t prepared for this… they felt led and, “Does anyone have a change of clothes I could borrow?”  As each country hopped in the pool, my grandparents smiled to each other and my best friend creeped closer trying to understand through thick accents.  Her hand lifting towards them praying silently over each stranger.  Scared anxious dry people became crying laughing speechless spiritual beings over and over… and it never got old.  In an unavoidable baptism the heavens cracked open as the last person climbed out … and we all headed to our cars… each of us sopping wet… all of us changed.

~

As I came into my home.. it had already begun and people who were going to eat outside were perched on every available surface. “Eighty-five people….where we would put them all.. do we have enough food?…what about…?”

“Hey I want the rest of my word …”, Anthony Skinner interrupted my thoughts.

“Aww heck no, ” I kept  laughing,”Now I know who you are… no way… you take it up with God.”  He had been staying at our house  and we had gotten to know each other over egg sandwiches before he would make his way out to teach at the worship school. Anthony is a down to earth guy that you wish was your neighbor and a regular at Sunday Dinner.  The day before I had asked him if he was a worship leader or something , when he answered with , “No I am a songwriter….” I had shrugged it off as I poured a cup of tea. “Would I know anything you wrote?”… He had hesitantly given me two names of songs which sounded vaguely familiar.  My husband assured me that we sing them every single week.  Before he left that morning I had a word for him…I, still in pajamas.

While he was gone I made the mistake of googling him

WHAT!  He’s that guy!!!!  The “Joy comes in the morning” guy…. the ” Your love never fails” guy!!! The “Beauty for Ashes ” guy!!! …The “Forever and a Day” guy!!!

Grammy award winning.

“No serious… I want the rest of my word…ya can’t leave me hanging. I have to leave and get on the plane.” I shook my head and laughed, “You let me proph you in pajamas and you never even told me … but all right I’ll tell you… But first I want to tell you that song “Alright” is amazing.. I want to crack it open and climb inside of it”

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

The rest of night was bliss.

Full people sat on quilt covered hay bales while fire pits crackled and thunderclouds rumbled a few fields off.  My grandfather snuck over… he always feels more comfortable with the masses… it lights him up  and makes the 80some years ebb away.   Worship soaked souls rested guitars upon laps and songs poured out of the overflow of full hearts. Songs and smoke spiraling upwards. People who had never seen fireflies ran through the field laughing with hands open wide.

Everyone becoming younger

Everyone wide open

Everyone trying to bring Light closer.

Alright by Anthony Skinner… it’s a new song but its amazing…like crack it open and climb inside: