Drinking Deep

Two years ago, Reason bought me a spearmint plant. I found, among my research, that mint is terribly hardy with a tendency to overrun an entire garden and that they drink a lot of water. And oh, did they ever! I think we must have watered the plant on a near-daily basis and twice on very sunny days. Sometimes, I couldn't tell that Reason had already watered it, so I'd water it again. And it drank. And drank. Drinking up the water and drinking in the sunshine.

I felt like that spearmint plant this past weekend. We were sitting in an old chapel. The shades were drawn over the stained glass windows as a reminder that the sun goes to bed late these days. The wooden pews were each labeled with little brass plates. An upward look showed that acoustically-savvy music people knew how to get the vaulted ceiling to sound good. And on the stage at the front of the chapel was a young woman in a tunic top, jeans, and flats. Guitar in both hands, microphone positioned in front of her. The audience sat quietly, listening to her haunting voice sing the chorus of one of her very first songs:

And I ask how many times will You pick me up
When I keep on letting You down
And each time I fall short of Your glory
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you and as
Long as you're seeking my face
You'll walk in the power of my daily sufficient grace... my daily sufficient grace

The words fell onto my soul like water on the spearmint. "My daily sufficient grace"...
"How far will forgiveness abound"...
"My child I love you"....
"My daily sufficient grace"...

My soul has always responded to music. The simple guitar chords and the deep theological truths struck just the right balance. Somehow, this 90 minute concert refreshed me more than the hours of deep, solid, doctrine from the pastors I know and love. I sat there drinking in the music as she played song after song, unknowingly pouring liquid balm onto my tired, aching heart.

Reason and I bought her CD afterward. You won't be surprised that we've played it some 30 times in the last 2.5 days. It's on both our Ipods and in our CD player. We're both drinking it in. Drinking deeply of the truths it proclaims. It is likely to be the soundtrack to our lives for the next month, as everything swirls in chaos around us. Her music reminds us that there's a peace in the midst of the storm. Perfect Peace.

So thanks, Laura Story. Thanks for loving our Lord. Thanks for coming out to worship with us. Thanks for pouring Living Water on my thirsty soul.


Lyrics from "Grace" by Laura Story, on the album Great God Who Saves.