Voice From the Vault: The Reba Resurrection (Part 2 of 2)
This interview on the NASHVILLE ALIVE cable TV show, which aired in the Spring of 2017, tells the story of what I now think of as “The Reba Resurrection.”
God used the one-of-a-kind voice of Reba McEntire to do the one-of-a-kind thing only He can do: resurrect the dead.* In this case, He was resurrecting my dead dream. The dream that was figuratively “buried in a locked box in the back yard” of my past...or you could say, at the bottom of the ocean where my dream-boat had been suddenly capsized. And I was perfectly content to leave the dream buried there, forever.
But here’s the thing about God. When we seek Him first as our "Abba Father", our heavenly Daddy, He begins to order things in our life the way HE wants them to be.* And He’s known to be a Dad who takes us out of our comfort zone.
Our heavenly Father is not content with our contentment. Why? Because He’s created each of us for a purpose that is far beyond mere contentment.
And so. Just as I’d become content to keep my old dream neatly locked-up in the vault…and leave my "suddenly" capsized dream-boat behind to spend the rest of my days diving into deep waters with the Lord, focusing on our family and home, and working our family businesses, God did another “suddenly.”
Suddenly…He breathed new life into my dead dream.
On March 8, 2016, there was “suddenly” a recorded message on my cell phone voice mail. (I know the exact date, because I still have the voice mail saved on my phone). The message was from my former songplugger (a 'plugger' is one who pitches songs to record labels and artists).
“Hey! Just wanted to let you know something very cool,” Dan's voice said on my voice mail. “Your song 'God and My Girlfriends' is on hold for a gospel album Reba is doing!”
Wait. What?
God and My Girlfriends is on hold for Reba? As in, Reba McEntire?
The one and only. A song I had co-written in 2008 (with Patricia Conroy and Marcia Ramirez) was slated to be recorded by Reba back when it was first written. However, it turned out to be the right song at the wrong time for her. Now, “suddenly”, some 7 years later the time was right!? Out of the vault -- an old song that we [my co-writers and I] had long ago given up hope of ever hearing on a Reba album.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
You can see my “timeline of souveniers” that unfolded with Reba, and this song and album containing the song, on the “God and My Girlfriends” page of this website.
Here’s just a few highlights:
Reba performed the song on THE TODAY SHOW February, 2017
Reba’s album charted on both Billboard Country AND Christian charts
Reba’s album won a DOVE AWARD in October, 2017
Reba’s album won a GRAMMY AWARD in January, 2018
And as the timeline of souveniers was just starting to unfold surrounding the song, before it was ever released I was also “suddenly” being asked to sing around town again. Although it was scary to step on stage again (and still is, quite frankly), I've said yes when asked to perform. I have (rather reluctantly) let my voice out of the vault, in more ways than one.
I’m singing a new song; I’m writing a new blog.
I’m using my new voice to do new things God has put it on my heart to do.
Faith First…Faith Forward.
From suddenly-in-the-vault one day, to suddenly-vaulted five years later, I'm singing the praises of the Most High God, who suddenly resurrects!
reSOURCES:
*John 11:1-44: The miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
**From Author Bob Hamp: Whatever we seek first orders our lives.