Week 5

On October 8th of last year, I lost a friend. Kortney Blythe Gordon, her unborn baby (Sophy), and three others were driving down a Georgia highway. They were hit head-on, and  Kortney and Sophy died instantly. You can read more about Kortney, here. She was always, always smiling. She had an incredible joy inside. When you were in the same room with her, you could see that joy radiating out. I was comforted and encouraged every time I got to see her. The last time I did was at the One Amazin' Kid reunion show in December of 2010. I got to meet her fiance, Ben Gordon.

They were married in May 2011. Soon after, they became pregnant with a little girl they named Sophy Joy. They had only been married five months when the accident happened. My heart still breaks for Ben and the Blythe family. When I heard about the accident, I offered to do music for the memorial service. I was taken aback when Ben called me himself.  He mentioned that she always loved the hymn, "Be Thou My Vision." He told me to make it my own. Moments later, I was in my office praying and meditating on the song. The ideas seemed as though they were being downloaded from above. I was just trying to keep up. I rested on those ideas for a couple of days, but the song didn't seem finished. A verse from the Bible from the book of Psalm kept ringing in my ears. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100:4-5

I added this as a bridge to the song. I felt it was honoring to Kortney and the family. The service was a beautiful celebration of a life lived out to the fullest. The eulogy, written by her Dad, was filled with sweetness and grace. He wrote, "She was tireless in her passions. She was passionate in her ministries. She ministered to all who crossed her path. She made Christ the light of her path."

Just weeks later, I performed this same rendition at a wedding for a friend. It was such a tender season. A season in which I witnessed the extraordinary circle of life. A season in which my vision of life ripened. I know my existence is in the hands of One far greater than I. As the song says, "Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision or Ruler of all."

Enjoy, 

Christopher

Recorded at various times between January 25-29.

Words attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 8th Century.
Translated from ancient Irish to English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905.
Versed by Eleanor H. Hull in 1912.