For over twenty years now, I have been a Christian music fan. For closer to twenty-four years, I have written numerous songs and poems and have dreamt of them becoming actual songs sung by Christian music artists and bands.
I love streaming music of all genres and I still purchase and download music as well. Yet, I miss the joy of primarily purchasing physical CDs, tearing the plastic off, smelling that freshly opened CD smell, reading the liner notes with the lyrics, and listening to the physical CD itself.
I also miss something else, that either no longer exists or is in short supply in modern times. I miss calling the request line at my favorite Christian radio station and requesting my favorite songs.
In the early to mid-2000s, when I lived in West Monroe, LA, I would regularly call 88.7FM The Cross, to request the songs I wanted to hear, and sometimes, a little more than that.
On Sunday nights, local church youth groups would host a show where folks could call the station to request songs and offer opinions on topics being discussed on air.
When I was about 11 years old, I called in several times to offer my opinion on things, either at home or in the car with my family. I wish I could say my words were coherent and positive. Yet, I have to admit they were probably very shallow and far cheesier than the comments people give on, “positive, encouraging K-LOVE.” In short, they were “super-cringe” before “cringe” was a thing.
One day, my mom took me to the Family Christian bookstore in Monroe, LA for an event. One of the 887FM radio show hosts, Naomi Carroll, was doing a CD signing for her and her husband’s independent Christian music duo at the time.
I remember walking up to her table, CD in hand, excited to meet her.
I said, “Hi, my name is Jacob. Can you sign my CD?”
Naomi chuckled and said, “Are you the Jacob that calls the station all the time?”
I told her that I was, as those around me laughed silently. I did not realize that perhaps I called the station a little too much, that perhaps it was maybe for attention, or that even then, I was starting to lose the ability to be coherent, and that having my words heard on radios across northeastern Lousiana maybe wasn’t a good idea.
Yet, none of those thoughts crossed my mind. All I knew is that I was seen and heard, by someone deeply involved with the music that I loved, and the world I dreamed to be a part of.
You may no longer care about owning physical CDs, DVDs, or Blu-rays. You may be perfectly fine with streaming all the movies, TV shows, and music you desire. You probably don’t even miss the obsolete practice of calling a radio station to request the music that you want to hear.
Yet, in these trying times, and continuing days of uncertainty, I know this. You do want to be seen and you do want to be heard.
You want hope, in order to go to work and get out of bed in the morning. You want peace, to sustain you, as prices for gas and food soar, and you worry about feeding your children. You want sickness, pain, and all the trials in the world to end. Most of all, if you’re anything like me, you want this chaotic world, to fully return to normal, with no masks or pandemics period.
We may turn to many people and many things for hope, peace, answers, and fulfillment. Politicians, family members, and friends will fail us. No Netflix binge, drug, or addiction will ever ease our pain.
Yet, in the Heavens above, lies a Savior who cares deeply about us. He cries when we cry, He sees us in our pain, and He hears us when we pray. If we accept His salvation, we can be forever comforted that He will carry us through our lives, until the very end, when we see Him face to face, and we stay with Him in Glory eternally. No feeling will be greater than when we see Him, He sees us and says, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
This is the hope that carries me. I pray it will do the same for you.
Until Next Time,
Jacob McGowen
The Adventures of A Warrior 