sleigh ride
One of my favorite gifts I received on my 40th birthday was a commentary on Revelation. And it's not because of how well it's written or how impressive it is in volume - I actually haven't read more than a few pages of it.
Kentucky was the place I learned to love cowboys, indians and caves. I was a faithful viewer of the tv show F-Troop and every night I asked my mom to tell me a story about Becca, the wife of Daniel Boone. My poor mom I'm sure made up quite a few tales of what it was like to be a frontierswoman. I think I thought it was quite possible I would go and live on the frontier one day. And I remember the heavens singing the day my pink cowgirl outfit arrived from the Sears catalog; I wore it every chance I got for the next 2 years.
It's because the author was my pastor when I was three years old and we were living in Lexington, Kentucky. Pastor Brighton was my first encounter of what Jesus was like, outside of my family. I can still see his eyes, full of life, smiling down into mine as he hunched over to talk to me. He gave me candy bars. He became a mentor to my father, was the one who encouraged him to go to the seminary to find out more about Jesus, and encouraged him to become a pastor when he was ready.
Kentucky was the place I learned to love cowboys, indians and caves. I was a faithful viewer of the tv show F-Troop and every night I asked my mom to tell me a story about Becca, the wife of Daniel Boone. My poor mom I'm sure made up quite a few tales of what it was like to be a frontierswoman. I think I thought it was quite possible I would go and live on the frontier one day. And I remember the heavens singing the day my pink cowgirl outfit arrived from the Sears catalog; I wore it every chance I got for the next 2 years.
One of our Christmas albums we had then came from the A&P grocery store, and my brothers and I would put it on and listen to Sleigh Ride over and over. We had our stick horses with their giant plastic heads and we would run loops through the house, reveling in our freedom out on the range. That record got played way past Christmas.
I can't hear Sleigh Ride on the radio now without thinking of those days, when nothing seemed impossible to me and my brothers. I pray that is still the case. Jesus said, "if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." from Matthew 17:20 (nkjv)