I talked about someone on Sunday like she was my sister. Amy Grant was Christian music’s darling in the 80’s. Her songs impacted across the ages, maybe from “age to age”. Louise and I played that vinyl over and over when we were first married.
Then it seemed to go wrong. Amy divorced. Rumors abounded though I don’t recall her defending herself too much. She married country singer Vince Gill and they have had 1 child together.
We went to hear her sing on Friday. The voice has actually got better, I’d say, which is unusual for a mature Mom (complaints later but I can think of the odd great singer who lost it for a while!).
Her self-deprecating humor was sweet. She sang Thy Word, Father’s Eyes, El Shaddai, Love of Another Kind, Love Will Find a Way, What About The Love, (and Baby Baby was always about her baby!) She seemed very peaceful and I could sense the Holy Spirit working through her.
Seems she still sings for Jesus. Amen. But I wonder how well the Christian community treated Amy? I have heard Michael W Smith affirm her faithfulness to the Lord and her integrity on TV. He knows better than most.
I am the first to fight for marriages. I am passionate about that and pastorally risk offense to give it one more tries. The truth always stands. The standard is the Lord’s have no doubt. Ministry requires a high standard. Some disqualify themselves and never find their way back to the place of humility again. That should cause us to tremble. Amy may even have had her heart condemn her, I don’t know. But somehow I wonder if the girl who we once loved may just need to hear the word of the Lord to Israel
“Go show your love to her again.”
We may just see God use her again. We may even be healed ourselves.