Is it Noise Pollution or Ministry? – April 2008

Walk with me… or in this case ride. You know you been there, driving down the road minding your own business. Maybe you’re on your way to work or to drop the kids off at day care (and when I say kids, please understand that I am including pets that are dropped off at day care… not joking, I have more than one friend that makes that stop each morning and they pay dearly out the you-know-what for it too). You roll to a stop light and are trying not to make eye contact with the multitude of goobers that are crossing the street and staring into your car and not watching where they are going. Oops… the guy in the crusty jean jacket just bumped into the lady who is chowing down on what appears to be a skillet burrito from the golden arches and I can almost taste the hash browns that I know for a fact are tucked safely in the red and white paper bag that’s poking out of the top of her gym bag.

Gradually, but noticeably, I begin to feel a vibration. For a split second my hard drops and I think to myself, ‘Oh no, this is the big one! What about Jeremy. Where is he today, will he be able to duck and cover… or is he supposed to hide under a desk… or are you supposed to get in a hall way and put your head between your knees… or is this the natural disaster that you are supposed to find an over pass and get underneath it…. Or do I find an interior bathroom … or is it a door way… Man I am so not prepared for this!!! Shoot!!! I knew I shouldn’t have left those dirty dishes in the sink!”

Pause… Note to reader: I have never encountered an earthquake I could feel, or even a trimmer or an after shock, but in my minds eye, this is what it would feel like.

Just before I start hyperventilating and begin searching in the glove box for a pin and a napkin on which to write my last will and testament, I notice, to my left, out of the corner of my eye, a bright yellow SUPER SIZED hummer with chrome accents! Not the gas friendly, soccer mom sized, cute one, but the gigantic one that takes up a lane and a half. The ‘Pimp My Ride” stereo system with complimenting LCD’s in the head rest are not only shaking everything that belongs to them, It is shaking everything that belongs to me (inside and out), the car next to me, the crusty jean jacket man and golden arches girl! There is a mother on the other side of the street clutching her toddler in her arms pressing one of his ears to her chest and covering the other with her free hand. “Is this legal?!!!” I shout to myself out loud.

Note to reader: It must be known that I am a lover really of all music, but my pre-sets are generally K-Love (contemporary Christian music), FM 100 (top 40), or new country. On this particular morning though, it was K-Love and the song was Jeremy Camp’s You’re Worthy of My Praise.

So there I was… sitting at the stop light with my fingers in my ears not even able to hear myself think much less hear my own radio, when it dawns on me that three can play at this game! Mr. Pimp My Ride and his environment eating hummer machine, little me and Moose, and The Man Upstairs, so hear goes nothin’!

I give a quick glance to the yellow monstrosity who’s windows are tinted so dark that I am sure it’s illegal, and say a quick prayer. With a couple of quick presses, the sun roof slides open and the tail gate window slides down. I gently bite my lower lip and commit. I press my thumb to the [UP] volume button that resides on the left side of my steering wheel and up, up, up goes Jeremy Camp.

“I will give you all my worship

I will give you all my praise

You alone I long to worship

You alone are worthy of my praise”

I look to my left still just a black window, I look to my right and the man in the blue Honda next to me is still hanging onto his steering wheel with all of his might.

Again, I gently bite my lower lip and press the [UP] volume button and again, up, up, up goes Jeremy Camp.

“I will worship with all of my heart

I will praise you with all of my strength

I will seek you all of my days

I will follow all of your ways

I will give you all my worship

I will give you all my praise

You alone I long to worship

You alone are worthy of my praise

You are worthy of my praise "

Oh, ooh the man in the Honda is looking my way and grinning and giving me the thumbs up. I grin back and with my new found courage I press the [UP] button again.

I will bow down and I'll hail you as king

I will serve you, I will give you everything

I will lift up my eyes to your throne

I will trust you, I will trust you alone

I will give you all my worship

I will give you all my praise

You alone I long to worship

You alone are worthy of my praise

You are worthy, You are worthy

You are worthy of my praise

By this point I am dancing in my seat and singing at the top of my lungs at the longest light in the city of Memphis, not really caring who hears me. I look to my right and Honda man, Crusty, and golden arches are head bobbing to the beat. I look to my left and the hummer expecting to see my own reflection in the glass, but his window has been rolled down. It really was a priceless moment like the first time your husband caught you in your underpants singing R-E-S-P-E-C-T (or some other I am woman hear me roar song) into your hair brush. (Don’t say you’ve never done it!)

I quickly press and hold the [Down] button returning Mr. Camp to just below what would be considered a respectful volume level and the man in the bright yellow sunshine eating machine shouts over to me, “Hey!!! What music is that?”

“Jeremy Camp” I say with a little less courage than before.

He nods and looks away but doesn’t roll up his window.

A couple of moments pass and from somewhere deep within me I hear my self blurting out “It’s 94.9, you can listen if you want to. What happened next is completely true, and far beyond my wildest imagination. Within moments Jeremy Camp was coming from both of our stereos

“Oh, I will give you all my worship

I will give you all my praise

You alone I long, I long to worship

Well, you alone are worthy of my praise
You are worthy of my praise."

Till Next Time,
Bon Voyage!