Stay for Awhile

There is a reason my daughter Amy is named Amy.  It’s because I loved Amy Grant from the time I was nine years old until two years ago when I had a little run-in with her manager on my blog.  I said some things she didn’t like, a few commenters said some things she didn’t like, she said some things I didn’t like, and the whole exchange left a bad taste in my mouth.  I couldn’t listen to AG without remembering the dust-up between me and her manager; the whole thing destroyed the joy I took in Amy Grant’s music.  That Christmas marked the first time since 1983 that I didn’t break out the all-time best Christmas album ever, AG’s The Christmas Album. 

But this December, after going nearly 18 months without regularly listening to her music, I re-checked her Christmas music on iTunes and from the moment the first notes of Emmanuel hit my ears, I remembered how much this music meant to me.  It had nothing to do with her manager.  It had everything to do with the lyrics and the music and the voice.  And I decided I wasn’t going to let what happened between me and her manager rob me of the enjoyment I have always taken from listening to her music.

Good thing, too, because shortly after that revelation, I heard that Amy Grant was going to be in concert in Holland (Holland, Michigan, for all my Georgia friends).  And not only would Amy Grant be there, but Michael W. Smith would be there.  It was called the 2 Friends Tour.  And I heard they were doing lots of old stuff, like the concerts I’d gone to as a teenager.  And I decided I’d found my Christmas present.

I bought the tickets (the second tier price – which showed great personal growth, I might add) and have secretly looked forward to the show for two months.  I haven’t told my friends I’m going.  I haven’t told my family I’m going.  I barely mentioned it to Sean.  I was desperately trying to keep this from becoming a Big Deal, which is what usually happens when I get AG tickets.  And I was doing a mighty fine job until I got an email from Kim, the one friend who knew I had tickets.  She emailed me the set list for the show, which she got from MWS’s fan page.  Where she is a member.  Because she’s just as big a groupie of MWS as I’ve been of AG. 

A picture of the set list from AG's website.

Anyway, when I read the songs they planned to do, my reasoned approach flew out the window and I went nuts.  Y’all, they are doing songs from 1983 – 1988.  I was 13 in 1983; they’ll be playing the soundtrack of my high school career.  I am going to be in musical heaven.

Last week when I got Kim’s email with the set list, I made a playlist of the songs on iTunes and have listened to it non-stop.  My family is well aware that I’m going to an Amy Grant concert this week.  It is now officially a Big Deal. 

Y’all might want to pray for them.