You ever have moments when you hear just what you need to hear to throw everything into perspective? Maybe it's something that someone says in casual conversation, or maybe it's something you hear on the radio, or on tv, or read in a book...but somehow that little snippet falls into place with what you've been thinking about all day, or what you've been feeling? It's like a piece of advice you never asked for or an answered prayer, but whatever it is, it's like that person or that song or that whatever it is just "fits" right then. It's just what you need to hear.
Well anyway...I had one of those moments just now as I was editing photos of our most recent trip to the beach. We went last Thursday despite the heavy looking clouds because we were feeling that it might just be one of the last times we will be able to take Bugga to the beach and enjoy it for what it is: God's glory painted in white sands and bright emerald and blue seas and on warm breezes. Because the oil was coming. It was here. Our time was running out.
So here I am, editing these photos and smiling at the beauty of them all, but feeling that heavy feeling that I've been feeling when I look out at the sea and think of this beautiful land these days. Almost like an emerging mourning. And as I usually do while working in Photoshop, I am listening to my iTunes on shuffle. And this beautiful song by JJ Heller comes on. By the way, if you haven't heard of her, you need to. She's AMAZING. Anyway, the song is "Save Me" and despite it's almost desperate call, the tune is cheerful and bouncy, like beach music really. And I find my mood lifting and then I'm struck by the lyrics. They hit me like a revelation. I've heard this song dozens of times, I sing along almost absent-mindedly but tonight they sunk in like a balm to soothe my sad beachy soul.
The words reminded me that despite the uncertainty, despite the seemingly inevitable uglyness of this spill's aftermath, despite the sad mood in the air, the helpless feeling...God is in control and to quote JJ "the only source of all the peace I need".
Take a listen (because you so need to hear what I'm talking about. The video itself is irrelevant, but at least you can hear the song).
"Living
Am I really living
Or am I just existing
Hiding away
Danger
The world is full of danger
But if I never try to go outside
My heart will waste away
Come and save me
You're the only source of all the peace I need
Come and save me
You tell me life will not be pain free
What will be will always be in your control
Darkness is light to you
And all you ask me to do
Is trust what you say is true
You are stronger
Than any terrible possible scenario today
Come and save me
You're the only source of all the peace I need
Come and save me"
p.s I just looked on JJ's website and where, she's listed the lyrics is a painted scene of a beach. See? One of those "just what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it" things.
