“ROCK” Stars

Over the last ten days of my life, I have been Graced with a personal experience with not just one Rock Star, but two.  You can go your whole life with never meeting one in person.  I’m still Star-struck over those two Good Moments. What Good Fortune. What Good Luck. Who Knew? The Lord of Luck Knew.  He Arranged the meetings before the creation of the world.  His Eternal Love Arrived right on schedule Sunday, with Son-shine in  my daughter Rachel.  Then the Book of Life turned over another page and Love Arrived on Thursday with the brilliance of Son-beams through my sister Alisa.

There are a number of definitions for the phrase “rock star”.  The one that I relate to the most is, “someone who can stay up and do some hard core partying all night long and wake up and take care of business in the morning.”  I can’t tell you how many similar stories I’ve heard at the meetings I go to.  I heard one on Sunday.  .  .from the lips of my daughter Rachel.  She was the main speaker. . .or better yet, she was the mouth-piece of the Day Star, the Rock of Ages.  Her Rock Star.

     “A Light that shines in a dark place until the Day dawns and the Day Star arises in your heart.”  2Peter1:19

In Twenty-five minutes, she shared her autobiography.  A relatively normal childhood, frequent moves from one place to another, changes in schools, finding new friends, excelling at school, developing perfectionistic traits by learning early in life that people valued you for how much you accomplished or achieved.  By the time she went off to college, it was time to be a rock star.  But here she stood years later,  sharing the personal consequences that result from an absence of self-control and yet in that Good Moment, with Love in her heart.  .  . celebrating five years of sobriety. . .ten months of Motherhood with my granddaughter Shelby. . .four years of partnership with a man who is determined to respect and love her. . .and like other rock star celebrities, she raised her eyes to heaven and pointed her finger to the Son and said, “I owe it all to God, my Higher Power.” At the end, we all stood hand in hand and recited the Lord’s prayer.  I was unable to utter one word.  My heart was filled with so much Joy that I couldn’t speak, but instead my tears applauded the Day-Star on High, the Rock of Ages Who has filled Rachel with Light.

      ” In my misery, I waited for the Lord.  He turned to me and  He   heard my cry.  He pulled me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. . .and He Set my feet upon a Rock and Established all of my future steps.  He put a new song in my heart with words of praise to Jesus Himself, Who is the foundation and  the Chief Cornerstone.                   Psalm 40:1 Ephesians 2:20

Another definition for Rock Star is, “someone talented and unique;  a famous singer of Rock music;  living at the top of your game;  one of a kind.” On the following Thursday, I was at another concert with a very select group who always attend Rock Star events.  My sister Alisa was Singing.

       “We are made a spectacle, musical theater to the world, and to angels and men, who see with wide open eyes, something Remarkable.”  1Corinthians 4:9

I have caused great pain and distress to Alisa’s soul.  I deserted her when she was younger and needed me to Love her.  I failed miserably and have walked around for many years with self-condemning guilt and shame.  It never was about anything she did wrong.  There is no explanation that would be worthy of presenting as an excuse or reason for abandoning her and other members of my extended family. It is all my fault. My fear has kept me from dealing with it. I have been without courage.  .  . yet Courage Arrived.  We met Thursday and I listened to her sing.

She sang lyrics from her heart that were written in the Moment, full of honesty and truth, powered by the deeper emotions of the soul.  Such pain I have caused her.  As the melody reached higher cords and the angels watched in Wonder,  Mercy was in her heart and Forgiveness was on her lips.   I am teary eyed as I write this.  Our tears flowed, but this time they flowed together. . .brother and sister, together.  Love covering over a multitude of sin. God’s Love. The Rock Star’s Love.    His Love never fails.

      “And the Holy Spirit says to the sheep, I will give you a White Stone and a new Name Written in Stone.”  Revelation 2:17