monday was the day we were cruising down the st. lawrence river. i would tell you that it was beautiful (which i am sure it was) however i didn't see it. monday (being that it was the day at sea) was the day of my biggest youth event. and the one that was the hardest to plan since it had to be planned once on the boat. directions typed up and cards put together. again all on the boat.
it was the "amazing race afloat". it turned out better than expected. the kids were VERY into the game and ran (i mean walked quickly as per the instructions) all over the boat performing tasks.
that evening was the performer that i was MOST excited about seeing on board... audrey assad. you may not have heard of her. but you need to hear of her. you need to hear her. her songs are profound. her voice is unreal. even better live. she isn't your typical upbeat "God is good and my life is amazing" singer. she is more the "life is hard and God is good and i am trying to figure out how that makes sense." now you know why i like her so much. she also sings TO God and not so much ABOUT God. which i like.
and she loves poetry (it is like we are twins separated at birth!!!!) the poems of gerard manly hopkins are a favorite of hers. we chatted about a particular poem of his (the only poem of his which i knew of and could quote a few lines of to my new bff audrey), kingfisher, which has these great lines that i have always loved...
For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.
two random facts about audrey assad... she is allergic to horses and she is afraid of whales. yes, this is why you read my blog. trivial moments by lea.
but speaking of the not so trivial (there is so little trivial about this young woman) she ended the last concert with this song... o my soul. beautiful. haunting. truth. which are the three words that best describe audrey and her music...
Rivers and stones and the trees of the field, they sing in the night
And a thousand tongues lay deep in your lungs to raise to the sky
Don't lie to yourself, o my soul—love your God.
Deep in your heart you feather and tar your folly and fear:
Expose them for the fools they are, and the world comes clear.
Don't lie to yourself, o my soul—love your God.
Your worries will never love you
They'll leave you all alone
But your God will not forsake you
O my soul.
