seized by the power of a great affection

Last year my dad had the brilliant idea for us to meet in Nashville with friends and watch Ellie Holcomb headline at the Ryman. It was magical. Mesmerizing. I sat on the edge of my pew and drank in the energy and poetry and music and love and laughter and it was just all very wonderful. It had been years since we had enjoyed live music and we were like dang. This is worth it.

Last month I was visiting with a friend and we stumbled upon the fact that Andrew Peterson was playing in Charlottesville and I about tripped over myself getting tickets. We took all the kids (an eight year old, six, five, and two three year olds) and it went about how you would expect with the three year olds needing to go to the bathroom at the culminating climax of show. It was still worth it; the older kids faces as they realized they knew the songs and sang along, the storytelling, the candles, the swirling lights and music.

We continued listening to the music at home and one day while out basking in the sunshine I heard Jack go by singing, ‘I’ve been seized by the power of a great affection, seized by the power of a great affection!’ I grinned, my day instantly made.

The next day I asked the kids at breakfast if anyone had any idea what it meant to be seized by the power of a great affection. No one did. So I grabbed Ev and snuggled and nuzzled her head amidst giggles and shrieks of laughter and asked again. Ev said maybe when she gets chicks from tractor supply or sees the ocean for the first time in a long time.

There were murmurs of agreement and I suggested maybe if you hadn’t seen dad in a long time and he came home and that feeling you would get when you saw him. Ivy then chirped, ‘Like that one time you went to see Jesus and dad took care of us’.

I blinked, then got it. ‘Oh yes, when I went to The Chosen and then you guys picked me up from the airport and when I got in the car Hazey burst into tears, I do think she was probably seized by the power of a great affection.’

Same Hazey, same.

Violet, child most likely to seize me with the power of her great affection.

Perhaps live music seizes me with the power of a great affection and it was lovely to be reminded of such. Also. Andrew Peterson pretty much rips his heart out, writes about it and then sings about it. I bought his book, ‘God of the Garden‘ and was like smokes, here’s a signpost for the weary and wondering and wandering.

Alright, hugs and love til next year?