Critically-acclaimed, multiple-Dove nominee Matthew West became a mainstay at Christian radio with memorable hits like “You Are Everything” and “More.” He’s penned songs for Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus, Natalie Grant and Mandisa, among others. His latest album, Something To Say, debuted on Nielsen SoundScan’s Christian Retail Chart at #10 and spawned two more radio hits.
In this guest post, Matthew West steps outside of the popular singer/songwriter role to share a story about his beloved grandmother, and to talk about the importance of making an effort to tell people how much you care, and not just go through the motions.
An Angel Goes Home
by Matthew West
Luella Jane West was an angel. Oh, not the invisible, up in heaven, strumming a harp kind of angel. She was one of those angels you see down here. You know the kind, one of those everyday angels in street clothes. Oh, they may look just like you and me, skin and bones, shoes and hair. But there’s just something about them, the way they live, the love they show, that makes you certain they are hiding a pair of wings underneath that winter coat. That’s what kind of angel Luella was.
She was a mother of ten. That is not a typing error. She brought ten children into this world. Nine of them were boys, only one girl. That also is not a typing error. She and her husband raised all ten in a small house in Mason City, Iowa. She lost one son in Vietnam, and buried another son last year. One of the nine boys she raised became my dad. She outlived her husband by over twenty years. She outlived her own diagnosis from the doctors about nine years ago after suffering a stroke and a heart attack. She wasn’t done yet. And an angel doesn’t leave until she’s good and ready.
She must have been ready today, because my grandmother, Luella Jane West, passed away New Year’s Day, 2009. She’s in heaven now, the only place truly fit for an angel. She’s with her husband who she outlived. She’s with her son, Jim, who she had to bury too soon. After 87 years, her journey has ended, and she’s finally home.
And it is with a heavy heart that I write these words to today. You see, I should have written that letter. Which letter? The one I started writing a few months ago. It had been on my mind to send my grandmother a letter and tell her how thankful I am for her example, and for her love. I never finished that letter, and now I regret it.
So, I hope to encourage you with this thought at the beginning of this a new year:
Write that letter.
Make that call.
Say you’re sorry.
Love your enemy.
Be about a cause bigger than yourself.
Give.
Have no regrets.
Don’t go through the motions.
Do those things, and you just might make people wonder if you’ve got a pair of wings hiding under your coat.
Is there an area of your life where you feel like you’ve been just going through the motions? Or maybe you just feel stuck in a rut? Well, in the spirit of starting the New Year off with a commitment to make the most of our life like my grandma did, I have created a new online community at www.matthewwest.com, and I hope you will check it out. Here’s how it works. You click on the link that says, “No More Going Through the Motions.” There you will have the chance to join the community by posting your “Motions Resolution.” It can be anything, a habit that you want to break, a relationship you want to commit to restore. Your post will be anonymous, no last names. And every few months, we are going to send your resolution back to you in an email, just as a reminder of your commitment, and an encouragement to follow through! The words to my song, “The Motions” are the inspiration for this community:
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the MOTIONS
Check out the community, make your resolution, refuse to go through the motions, start today. God will honor your commitment, and He will take you farther than you can imagine.
You can learn more about Matthew West at his website. And don’t forget to share your story and resolution to not just go through the motions.
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