You need to know two things about me to appreciate this
story:
1.
Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my
heroes. I did a report on him in second
grade during Black History Month and I was sold for life. Here was a man who saw the injustice that was
around him and actually did something about it. He was a man of conviction, a
man of faith. I did extensive research
about him in high school and even reconstructed the Lincoln Memorial for my
history class. When I finally climbed
its steps 2005, I called my parents. You’ll never guess where I am….
2.
I, along with many other Minnesotans,
suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Most of the time
I’m just moody or tired or glum. But
sometimes it’s uglier than that. I
experience a strangely awful inhuman feeling: withdrawal. It’s like losing your appetite for human
interaction. You don’t want anyone
around. It’s incredibly lonely and
isolating. Sometimes hopelessness feels
like you are trapped in the bottom of a pit. Depression is the darkness of endless night.
I was having one of those depressing moments one morning last
January. I had struggled to get out of
bed. After lecturing myself that, “Sleep
doesn’t pay the mortgage,” I pulled on clothes, poured coffee, and headed out the door. I don’t know how you feel about
your car, but my car is a sacred space for me. It's where I spend seven
minutes each morning singing to God on my way to work. It's where I've
prayed some of my grittiest prayers because when you're strapped in, there's
nowhere else to go.
It's also been a symbol of God's faithfulness.
Learning how to drive was a struggle; I was in grad school before I ever
traveled on the freeway, but it's been a beautiful area of my life where I have
seen improvement. I've gone places that I never thought I would go on my
own. I have a picture on my dash of
myself surrounded by three of my precious friends reminding me that I have
people in my corner cheering me on as I journey through life but….
But there I was that morning sad and all alone. I started
listening to a CD that a friend had given me.
I had listened to this song several times, but at four minutes in, the
singer starts telling a story quietly and I had never bothered to turn up the
volume and listen. I found myself
annoyed with the fact I couldn’t hear the words that morning, so I cranked up
the volume. As I drove down the snowy
county road I began to hear a story about Martin Luther King Jr. that
ministered to my soul; bringing light to my dark places and comfort to my loneliness.
Sometimes I like to imagine that Jesus is sitting next to me
in the passenger seat, even holding my hand at the stoplights if I’m having a
particularly rough day. That morning it was like a friend was along
for the ride and just wanted to turn up the car stereo so I could be reminded of
something true. I listen to this song
often; especially when I need courage on the way to where I’m going. I unashamedly insert my own name into the lyrics and sing it out loud.
You can listen to it here.
It is called Never Alone Martin
(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) by Jason Upton from his 2007 album Beautiful People. The whole song is
good, but the story starts at the 4 minute mark if you want to skip ahead. I hope you enjoy.
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This ministered to me today. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that Katherine!
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