Okay, anyone who knows me knows I am not fond of change – and that’s an understatement, like saying Santa could stand to lose a few pounds. I park in the same parking space all the time, sit in the same seat at lunch, and don’t like to change. But when it came to Steven Curtis Chapman, I had to give change a try.
I love, Love, LOVE Steven Curtis Chapman. If you don’t know who he is, I’m so sorry!! He is a Christian singer, an incredibly prolific writer and an amazing musician. I think he can play anything! I wrote a blog sometime before how I think being his guitar tuner would be the coolest job in the world! (BTW, my radio station – The Joy FM had a contest where somebody actually got to do that!! I think they got the idea from me!!) According to Wikipedia, he has 5 Grammies, and 56 Dove Awards, which is Christian Music’s version of an Grammy. He has sold more than 10 million albums and has 8 certified Gold or Platinum albums. I’m not the only one who loves him. I may have to do a whole other blog post about how much I love SCC. Just for a taste – I have 6.5 HOURS of his music on my mp3 player – and that’s not even all my music that’s his – it’s just my favorites. I think I counted 8 CDs on my shelf and that’s just one shelf.
Anyway, there was a horrible tragedy in his family several years ago. I prayed so hard for them because I was so afraid that all that he has stood for all these years would just crumble and fall apart. But they didn’t!! God gave them the courage and strength to get through – and he and his family are not the least bit ashamed to say that. I saw him about 15 months after the accident and he’d aged – he never had before. But they made it through. I don’t think for one second it’s been easy or that they’ve magically arrived, but they survived – and their faith seems to be intact! He can still sing.
Anyway, he has a new album called “re-creation.” It has several new songs, but a chunk of the songs on the album are “re-created” songs he’s done before. He redid this for this album. Well of course this freaked me out!! I don’t like things different. Some of the redone songs are some of my favorites and how dare he change them?? I like them fine just the way they are!
I bought it today and I gotta tell you – it’s fabulous. I feel like an idiot for even questioning. Not that my questions changed anything – they are his songs and he can do with them what he wants to, but they are wonderful. I don’t know if KNOWING that he’s gone through the valley and come out makes them sound different. Maybe it’s knowing his heart is different and he’s singing them from a different place. His child died – and he still sings about how the love of God leaves him speechless. He’s astonished and amazed by the wondrous grace of our God. . .
I’m speechless. And astonished and amazed.
