Y’all, I’m not even going to sugarcoat it, I about had an old fashioned Pentecostal revival in my car on the way home just now from the grocery store.  The morning started out pretty normal (for me) – I got up early, dressed in normal Saturday clothes for this time of year – long sleeve t, jeans, flip flops, hair pulled back in a pony tail – ready to grocery shop.  While getting ready, I was channeling my inner Kelly Clarkson, scaring Cheese and Crackers the cats, because we all know I sound more like one of those screaming goats than I ever will Kelly Clarkson, but whatever.  Side note: If you’ve never been judged and found lacking by a cat – you probably don’t have one.  ha!  Truth.

I sang my way all the way up to the grocery store, where, to my delight, they have changed their normal Waylon Jennings soundtrack – which I love – to Christmas.  Patty Loveless and I sand Christmastime is Coming, while I loaded up some Conecuh sausage, cabbage, stuff for homemade hot chocolate, and whatever else was on my list.  And none of this has to do with my story, except that it was just a normal Saturday morning.

I got back in my car, and my music shuffled to Kelly Clarkson singing “Because of You” – and that is a song that gets me in my feels, even though I don’t listen to it often because I believe our words are powerful, and these lyrics are beautifully haunting in how accurate they could have described my life at some point.

And then it happened, out of nowhere – I’m singing along and it hits me: Thank you, Lord! Thank you!  Because of You – the story of my life – of my heart – of my completeness – is so much less “Because of You” and exponentially more “Because He Lives”.  Y’all, I was flooded immediately with such an overwhelming understanding of all He has done in my life and all I have to be so thankful for.

He turned a life that could have been defined by past hurts and fear into a life complete in knowing who holds my future – who held my past – and Who brought me right here to this moment.

Okay, I’m off – I still have groceries to put away and I’m firing up a little “Whole Lotta Woman” – because honestly any song that talks about being a woman and includes grits and hot biscuits is definitely a song that should be enjoyed while in my wheelhouse of a kitchen, cranking up my crockpot – getting ready to own my goat screaming.  “I’m a whole lotta woman….with classic confidence.”

This is a beautiful life.