Once upon a time there was a
creature. This creature had strangely colored hair, and was quite an average
creature of average size and average shape. The creature had spent its whole
life training to be a musician, and did not think it could be anything else. The
creature also did not have name. Many of the creatures from the same homeland
also did not have names so the creature did not expect to have a name, and did
not really miss having one. The creature came from a home where the creature’s
melodies and tunes expressed many of its deepest emotional experiences. When it
was a small creature it had spent many hours playing the strange vibrating and
plunking instrument of its homeland. Some of these instruments sounded as they
were called such as the Clunker, the Plunker, and the Howling Bazoo. Many times
when the creature played these different instruments the creature prayed with
its full heart. This is what the creature thought of as prayer. The creature
really did not have a voice either, and hardly used words to talk to God. These
melodic prayers brought the creature closer to God instead. When the creature
shared these melodic prayers with other creatures many times it created similar
experiences to the creature. The creature liked being able to share these
melodic prayers with other creatures. The creature also wanted to share more
than just the melodic prayers, but did not know how. Little did the creature
know, that its longing would draw something to the creature to help the
creature find how to fulfill this very need to share more.
Then one day the creature’s life totally changed. There was a great beast. The beast was immense and terrible. It was truly a fright to the creature. The beast threatened the creature’s music, and would not give the creature the peace it had once before. The beast was quite a nuisance. It would frequently follow the creature everywhere it went, and even butt into conversations the creature would have with its creaturely friends. No matter where the creature would go the beast would never let up. From performance to sleeping time, there was no place the creature could hide. The beast demanded the creature’s attention. Then one day a wise sage came to the creature. The sage was greatly respected by the creature, who considered this sage a great mentor. The sage told the creature that perhaps the great beast might be trying to tell you something important about yourself. Great beasts sometimes come to those who have certain deep longings. This might be something that could change your life. The creature was deeply afraid. “To change one’s life,” the creature thought, “It might mean that I would become something I would not want to be, and that would be anything other than a musician” The sage smiled and responded to the creature, “Do not fear. Yes, you may change, but these changes could sharpen you to your fullest potential.” The creature began to worry, but began to see the wisdom of the wise sage. The creature would befriend the great beast, and see what it wanted to reveal to this specific average creature.
The creature finally approached the great beast. The beast though quite terrifying, spoke very quietly. This was unexpected to the creature who had assumed that all great beasts were loud and violent. The beast said quietly to the creature, “You will sing a new song with a voice you never knew you owned, but you must do the work to prepare. Come with me, and I will teach you. You will learn your true name.” The creature was taken aback. “A new song?” the creature wondered aloud, “my true name?” The creature contemplated this for a moment, and then spoke again to the great beast. “But how can this be?” said the creature, “I do not have a voice, I have always played instruments that plunk and howl. These things do not sing. Also I have always been a creature; creatures do not have a name.” The great beast laughed, “The work we do shall allow God to empty you with the things that never suited you, to repurpose the skills you already know, and finally to teach you a name that you have always had but never have known. The work will be terrifying, and you will never be the same. You will never be alone for God will always be with you. These are things that you have been called to. You may push them away, but I will always bother you. There is no way to run away.” When the great beast had finished his speech the creature was struck silent. This was quite the dilemma for the creature, but the creature saw opportunity in the great beast. The great beast was offering the very thing the creature sought. The creature asked the great beast, “Will I be able to share this new song? Will this help me share music with more than I have before?” The great beast smiled and responded in joy, “Yes! This is why you were found. God sent me to you to help you wrestle with this very longing.” The creature felt filled with joy, and followed the great beast to the great mountain where it began to learn the work to share a new song.
When the creature’s work was done the creature realized that it had the ability to truly sing new songs in ways it had never imagined. It had finally learned that the images and influences that had surrounded it were ones to contemplate before assimilating. This creature had gained an identity that it never knew it had. God had used the great beast as her call to push her to work on the mountain of Seminary. It was there that God had finally revealed the creature’s name as Carol Marie Underwood.
God has begun the work in her that she is really a new creation in Jesus Christ, and will continue to create and recreate from within her and outside of her as she begins her journey singing new songs with a voice she never knew she had. She will tell the stories of those that are never shared, and speak truths that nobody wants to hear. It was through the great beastly call that taught her how to tell new stories about her journeys and how to share in the journeys of others so that they might also know their true name and share in the true love of Christ. The Holy Spirit inspiring her to keep her eyes and ears open to the multitude of information, and keeping her mind and heart sober. So thus this creature, Carol Marie Underwood can be enabled to do the work by which the triune God has called her to do so that she can enable others into their work to which they have been called. It is time to climb down the mountain and meet other creatures in love and gratitude.
Then one day the creature’s life totally changed. There was a great beast. The beast was immense and terrible. It was truly a fright to the creature. The beast threatened the creature’s music, and would not give the creature the peace it had once before. The beast was quite a nuisance. It would frequently follow the creature everywhere it went, and even butt into conversations the creature would have with its creaturely friends. No matter where the creature would go the beast would never let up. From performance to sleeping time, there was no place the creature could hide. The beast demanded the creature’s attention. Then one day a wise sage came to the creature. The sage was greatly respected by the creature, who considered this sage a great mentor. The sage told the creature that perhaps the great beast might be trying to tell you something important about yourself. Great beasts sometimes come to those who have certain deep longings. This might be something that could change your life. The creature was deeply afraid. “To change one’s life,” the creature thought, “It might mean that I would become something I would not want to be, and that would be anything other than a musician” The sage smiled and responded to the creature, “Do not fear. Yes, you may change, but these changes could sharpen you to your fullest potential.” The creature began to worry, but began to see the wisdom of the wise sage. The creature would befriend the great beast, and see what it wanted to reveal to this specific average creature.
The creature finally approached the great beast. The beast though quite terrifying, spoke very quietly. This was unexpected to the creature who had assumed that all great beasts were loud and violent. The beast said quietly to the creature, “You will sing a new song with a voice you never knew you owned, but you must do the work to prepare. Come with me, and I will teach you. You will learn your true name.” The creature was taken aback. “A new song?” the creature wondered aloud, “my true name?” The creature contemplated this for a moment, and then spoke again to the great beast. “But how can this be?” said the creature, “I do not have a voice, I have always played instruments that plunk and howl. These things do not sing. Also I have always been a creature; creatures do not have a name.” The great beast laughed, “The work we do shall allow God to empty you with the things that never suited you, to repurpose the skills you already know, and finally to teach you a name that you have always had but never have known. The work will be terrifying, and you will never be the same. You will never be alone for God will always be with you. These are things that you have been called to. You may push them away, but I will always bother you. There is no way to run away.” When the great beast had finished his speech the creature was struck silent. This was quite the dilemma for the creature, but the creature saw opportunity in the great beast. The great beast was offering the very thing the creature sought. The creature asked the great beast, “Will I be able to share this new song? Will this help me share music with more than I have before?” The great beast smiled and responded in joy, “Yes! This is why you were found. God sent me to you to help you wrestle with this very longing.” The creature felt filled with joy, and followed the great beast to the great mountain where it began to learn the work to share a new song.
When the creature’s work was done the creature realized that it had the ability to truly sing new songs in ways it had never imagined. It had finally learned that the images and influences that had surrounded it were ones to contemplate before assimilating. This creature had gained an identity that it never knew it had. God had used the great beast as her call to push her to work on the mountain of Seminary. It was there that God had finally revealed the creature’s name as Carol Marie Underwood.
God has begun the work in her that she is really a new creation in Jesus Christ, and will continue to create and recreate from within her and outside of her as she begins her journey singing new songs with a voice she never knew she had. She will tell the stories of those that are never shared, and speak truths that nobody wants to hear. It was through the great beastly call that taught her how to tell new stories about her journeys and how to share in the journeys of others so that they might also know their true name and share in the true love of Christ. The Holy Spirit inspiring her to keep her eyes and ears open to the multitude of information, and keeping her mind and heart sober. So thus this creature, Carol Marie Underwood can be enabled to do the work by which the triune God has called her to do so that she can enable others into their work to which they have been called. It is time to climb down the mountain and meet other creatures in love and gratitude.