Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

My thirteen-year-old daughter loves country music.  She got this from her dad, a country music hater who was converted by pre-set radio stations in his rental cars while working in New Mexico.  For a long time, I fought the two of them and switched the music back to “normal” as soon as I could.  They wore me down, though, and now my daughter and I belt out country songs together.  If you can’t beat ’em, join ‘em.

I think the reason I got hooked on country music is that many of the songs tell stories.  The stories of love, loss, faith, and redemption (punctuated by fast trucks, gravel roads, and beer), make me feel more alive.  

A great example of this is Carrie Underwood’s new song “Church Bells.”  It’s the tale of a dirt-poor young beauty named Jenny who catches the eye of a rich oil man while dancing in her dime-store dress.  Church bells ring at their lavish wedding and everyone thinks they’re “Barbie and Ken.”  They’re beautiful, blissfully in love, and “dripping in diamonds,” but behind closed doors, Ken’s drunken blows leave Jenny battered and bruised.  Covered in make-up and dark sunglasses, she sneaks into church and sits alone in the back pew, folding her hands and closing her eyes so she can listen to the church bells ring.  There, Jenny plots her escape from the depths of shame and sorrow by deciding to poison Ken’s whiskey.  The song ends with Jenny wearing a black dress at the funeral, in the front row now, singing and listening to the church bells ring.  

I love that song because I can see the whole drama vividly played out in my mind. I feel like I know the characters personally.  Inside I cheer for Jenny.  She’s freed from the abuse (and still gets the mansion).  It’s fiction, so I can easily see past the song’s dark undertones and enjoy its spirit of freedom and redemption.

County music also makes me proud to be an American.  The songs about John Deere tractors plowing farmlands, back road rendezvous, high school sweethearts, and soldiers coming home from war, ignite my national pride.  

Listening to a country station out of Denver today, my daughter and I heard the DJ, in his thick southern drawl, thank the thousands of American soldiers and veterans for serving this country.  

I usually think of Memorial Day weekend as soccer games, picnics, and the Creek Festival. This year, though, I am especially grateful for the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country’s safety and peace.  I am also thankful for the parents and grandparents who encouraged them to serve, despite deep concerns for their safety. 

Both of my grandfathers and my father signed up and fought in wars to protect our nation.  My husband and son have not.  I sometimes wonder if those of us who are not directly impacted by a loved one being in the military can we really appreciate the risk, the danger, and the sacrifice.  

My heart sings this weekend, in a country twang, with gratitude for our country’s servicemen and women.  I believe gratitude unites people and generations, making us stronger and bringing us closer to God.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

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