As I listen to the CD “The Essential Willie Nelson” it reminds me of the concert of his at the old Florida Theater in Jacksonville, Florida ten some odd years ago. Willie is timeless, but with impeccable timing. He performed thirty three songs that night without a single entire band break. It remains in my memory as one of the top three performances I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing and enjoying. I know there were 33 songs because I wrote them all down for a concert review never published. Such is the life of a writer,” letters I’ve written, never meaning to send.”
But times are different for me today. Last night I went to the Marshall Tucker
Concert at the Fillmore here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thank you, thank you Doug for keeping the
Tucks together. Your songs are western ballads with southern roots that speak
to the depths of my soul and release my spirit to enjoy the true pleasure of
great music. I have a review in the
making, and unlike so many others never received, I will be sure you get a
copy. It was absolutely fantastic to
enjoy once again the music that brought me to one of my first live concerts I
ever attended over 40 years ago. You were touring with Kansas then, also in my
top three concerts of all time, course being one of my firsts gives a slight
advantage (: . Then again maybe it was
Jethro Tull, seen him twice, talk about magic flutes.
All that being said I have so much on my mind as I listen to
Willie’s ”Angel Flying To Close To The Ground”.
Now I got Charlie Daniels CD “Memories, Memoirs & Miles…Songs of a
Lifetime” on. Excuse me while I play a
bit of harp to track 3 “A Hard Rains Gonna Fall”. This is a great CD that
speaks to the truth of the American dream.
I haven’t seen Charlie in concert, but I think it’s in my near
future. His music speaks to me as “The
Legend of Wholly Swamp” plays and I
think of stories told and shared along the highway we call life. Charlie is an American legend and a hero to
those that aspire to reach the pinnacle of iconic songs that bare the soul and
energize the spirit to reflect, reconcile, reorganize and regroup so that
through our God given talents we can inspire others and be relevant in U.S.
history.
To me life is simple.
As Charlie tries to relate that on track 11 “Simple Man,” this song,
totally different than Skynyrd’s, reminds me of Father taught wisdom rather
than a Mother’s caring heart in Skynyrd’s shared title. I pause for tears as “Let Em Win or Bring Em
Home” breaks me down and I say a prayer, a prayer I say numerous times a
day. Thank you Charlie, for bareing your
soul to enrich my spirit.
With all these thoughts it is hard to prioritize
priorities. When I reflect on what is
important, especially during this time of the year, this point in history, and
this day in the week, Sunday, I return to the Word. I find a passage in Hosea chapter 2 verses
14-23 that speaks to renewed faith and blessings through a “valley of trouble, a
door of hope” resides in verse 15 and based on this hope “the Lord responds” in
verse 21. These passages make one
reflect, and as I often do my mind returns to times past and words lost. However, at times they are found again, to re-inspire
and clarify the message. Such is the
case with the second of my saved writings on the inmate computer drive at the
Duval County Jail. Entitled “A Stage
Set Before Heaven” it starts with this paragraph:
Suffer not thru the longing light of the day. Cry not thru
the deep darkness of the night. Bring
your cares to the Lords’ open table.
Seat yourself in the chair of the righteous. Cast away your worry on His Loving Heart and
feel the sensation of a child’s spirit.
The second paragraph continues:
This early morning as I look at the City Lights I realize I
am at my lowest ever in my life in regards to matters of this world. In the flesh I am a prisoner in waiting,
waiting an unknown sentence. I cannot
begin to count the days to my freedom, for they are unknown. But still I have food and fellowship and my
faith is starting to return. Yes, I feel
my weakened spirit getting stronger, but still very weak. satan pulls at the strings of my mind like a
puppet, but You still hold the stage of my heart O’Lord. Yes, I feel like an actor at times living out
an unwritten script. Before me is the
movie set, but my lines are yet to be written.
You are the writer and producer, but You leave it up to us to
direct. Surround me with a good cast and
crew so that I can carry out the mission of the destiny before me.
Before I share paragraph three the words of Ezra Chapters 5
and 6 speak to new beginnings. The books
of Ezra contain many historical accounts through documented letters of the
leading class at the time. The letter documented in chapter five was from Tettenai who was the governor of
the Persian province across the Euphrates River, which included Palestine. The letter documented in chapter six was a
response and decree by Darius the 1st a.k.a. Darius the Great who
rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem in his sixth year of rule (Holman, 2003). These letters are amazing factual
documentation of ruling bodies working together 500 years B.C. towards a common
goal and an established good.
Paragraph 3:
Let my worries flow away like flood waters after the
storm. Bring down Your cleansing tears
of forgiveness on a lost and wretched soul.
For I am truly in a helpless state to do much if anything about life out
there, all I can control is what is in front of me in here. Bless me with a new attitude this morning and
make my spirit sing. Open my heart to a
world of friendship and understanding instead of hate and confusion. Release my mind to explore the unknown and
learn thru Your Holy Word. For I am
surrounded by a 1000 locks, but I know there is only one Key.
A brief reflection on Luke Chapter 12. The Words of Our Savior speak clearly about
greed and possession in verse 15. He then
tells us to be watchful in verses 35-36 even thru division without peace in
verse 49. And, finally He warns us about
being blind to interpreting the times in verse 56. In one chapter the Lord
through His Holy Words lays out warnings and wisdom as He instructs us to be
watchful and diligent for the signs leading to His Return. Paragraph 4:
I remember Lord when I reached out for Your Hand and I
realized an arm was attached. An arm
that once pulled me up and brought me into Your Light and blew breath of life
into me and saved me from a sure death.
A death that haunts me and surrounds me, but knows it has no power. For I have seen and felt with my own eyes
this death beaten more than once in my life.
So, let my petty concerns of this life roll off me like punches to a
prize fighter’s chin. For by Your Grace
I will never fall and satan can never win.
Be strong in heart, be one in spirit, be healthy in body, be sound of
mind and your soul will sing, dance and act out the talents of the ages, on a
stage set before Heaven.
© Bryan A. Stross 6/4/2009 .…}…. Psalm 18, a song delivered by King David….“The Lord Is My Rock.”
In closing consider the words of Zechariah in Chapters 13:7
thru 14:21; a prophecy by Jesus Himself of battles to come, of no more division
and everything in the City being returned to All Holiness. So be it dear Lord, come and bring your
mighty angels with you…for this fight is just getting started.
(c) B.A. Stross February 18th, 2018 4PM EST
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