The Old Guitar

One of the gifts I recieved from Rhi was country singer Jamey Johnson's new album. One of my favorite songs on it is, "The Guitar Song." The song is performed by Jamey Johnson and "Whispering Bill" Anderson. It tells about the life of an old guitar with many memories and stories to tell. The guitar talks about being on stage with Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and old Lefty Frizzell in Saginaw.

The guitar's last owner sold him for 20 bucks.... and there he sits silent on the wall in an old pawn shop, collecting dust. A guitar that has made thousands smile and cry from the sounds that came from his strings and wood, but now remains earily silent. Why is the old guitar silent?.... A guitar does not, will not, and will never live up to it's potential until someone picks it up, holds it close to their heart and allow their soul to pour out over the instrument.

We are all just like the old guitar in the pawn shop. Just like the guitar, God placed a song/music in our hearts and souls for us to share with the world. A guitar is useless and we are useless unless we allow our hearts to thumb the strings in our soul and live up the potential that God meant for our lives.

That old guitar's music career and life is over, only if it's strings are not played. Our lives are only over if we allow our music, our songs, our talents to remain silent. As the New Year approaches, we all should ask ourselves are we living our lives in a way God meant for us to live? Are we allowing the music in our hearts to impact other people in a positive way? When we finally play that last show and live that last day, will our children remember us as a good Dad or Mom? We all should try to live a life where even the undertaker will be sorry for our passing.

And that's the way I see it......