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Today is a two-for. The Sun is Shining Down and When I Get Where I'm Going. I spent the night at Dad's the night before Mom's funeral and got a text early that morning from my brother. "Do you think we could switch up some of the music today?" No, I do not...but then he sent a link. 

We had been through the weeds of planning Mom's service, picking clothes, picking flowers, writing an obituary and a program, selecting music. It's like planning a wedding, but the guest of honor isn't really there and you're doing your best to honor them and knowing that you're falling short somewhere. After pouring through hymns and notated sheet music of Mom's (and her mom's) we kind of needed to hear from "the real people." Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE hymns- don't forget where this blog started, and more are to come. But at this moment we just needed to grieve in plain English.  I pushed play on John's text and the bluesy, gravely tones of JJ Grey welled up. And so did the tears. It's the little things, not expectations, that make life worth living. And Mom WAS alive, singing glory, glory, hallelujah. I may talk later about my goodbye letter I sent her a few months before she died, but in her response, she assured me we were ALL going to be "fine." Just as the song states.

So I sent back "When I Get Where I'm Going." It's a song that I have always turned to when facing grief. One that I played in the car many times as I drove out to their house when I needed to stay with Mom and it was certainly playing on my way out there the morning she passed away. I love the opening image of landing beside the lion and running our fingers through his mane. I imagine Aslan and Susan worrying about meeting him. She's told he's not safe, but he's always good. But in Heaven. In Heaven he is safe. A place has been prepared for us. Our sins have been thrown away as far as the east is from the west. We can safely be in His presence. We will be able to leave all this pain, all the unanswered questions, all the hard and just stand. forever. in His amazing grace. Glory, glory, Hallelujah!!!

----------------------------------------------------

"The Sun is Shing Down"

How much longer can you wait?" She asked
There was a time I thought I, I could answer
But my tongue gets tied as my thoughts drift away
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
The sun is shining, shining down
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
I'm alive
And I'm feeling, feeling fine
All those simple thoughts all those peaceful dreams
Share the space with a hard worked, hard worked day
But it's the little things, the little things not expectation
That make life worth living, worth living
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
The sun is shining, shining down
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
I'm alive, and the world Lord, world is fine
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
The sun is shining, shining down
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
I'm alive and I'm feeling Lord, feeling, feeling, feeling fine

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly
I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Well, there'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here
I'm gonna walk with my grandaddy
And he'll match me step for step
And I'll tell him how I've missed him
Every minute since he left
And then I'll hug his neck
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here
So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
And so much work to do
But when I get where I'm going
And I see my Maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of His amazing grace
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Oh, when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
(Ah-woo) when I get where I'm going
Yeah, when I get where I'm going

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