When Trisha Yearwood Bought Me a Cheeseburger

Once I went to the movies with Trisha Yearwood.  You may or may not know this, but Trisha Yearwood was kind of a big deal back in the 90s when country music was great and all that kind of stuff that old people say.  We used to live in Nashville, and anyway, thanks to Chad’s ability to attract all kinds of people as friends, he became buddies with Trisha’s then-husband, and before I knew it we were going to the movies with them.

It wasn’t just the four of us.  A whole group of friends went.  We went to eat at a burger joint and then we went to the movies.

So, there I was, little 21 year old Melissa, sitting at the same table as a woman whose CDs I had asked Santa for as a child.  A woman whose songs I knew by heart.  A woman whom I had watched on awards shows.  She was sitting across from me in a Steak and Shake, eating a cheeseburger.

And, guess how many words I said to her?

Yep.  Zero.

I was trying so hard not to act like a crazed fan, not to annoy her, not to be one of “those” people, that I never even figured out how to speak one syllable to this super cool and beautiful musical star sitting at my table.  I remember that I smiled a lot.  I laughed at jokes.  And I tried to disappear into the red and silver vinyl upholstery of my chair, just so that I wouldn’t be a nuisance to the great Trisha Yearwood.

Have you ever been there?  I don’t mean at dinner with Trisha Yearwood, but have you been there with God?  Where you had an opportunity to talk to Him, to ask questions, to basically act like a crazed fan, but you held back for fear of saying the wrong thing?  For fear of praying badly?  Of asking stupid questions?  Of showing a lack of faith?  Have you tried to disappear into your perfect Christian facade so that maybe He won’t be annoyed by you?

Yep.  Me, too.

Sometimes we tend to think of God as an untouchable celebrity that we shouldn’t have access to.  But, we don’t have to worry about showing God who we really are.  He knows it better than we do.  He made us and He sees our every motive, our every thought, and our every desire.  The least we can do is be honest with Him.  After all, He invited us to come to Him with our burdens.

God is not a superstar who is bored with His fans.  He is no distant award winner.  He is a loving Father who is intimately in tune with our lives, our thoughts, and our actions.  We shouldn’t hold back for fear of upsetting Him or because we want to look good.  We can’t look good because we’re sinners.  And, we always look good because of the goodness of Jesus Christ.  That’s how incredible and big God’s love is.  It’s even bigger than a Trisha Yearwood song from the 90s.

I think later in the evening I did manage to say one sentence to Trisha.  After the movie we were standing around the parking lot, and I looked at her pretty queen of country face and said something lame like, “That was a really good movie.”  I’m sure she remembered my profound statement for the rest of her life.

Thank Heavens God is a little easier to talk to.  I’m so glad we can be ourselves before the throne.