A Gladys Night

Just discovered, I never clicked, PUBLISH on this one. DUH.
Took a "tour" of Lake Highlands last night... And learned that Gladys Knight’s last name is actually McDowell.

Do those seem like two random, impossibly related topics?

You know, I can get lost going anywhere. Well, we got lost in Lake Highlands but the area was so pretty and the car full of such good company it didn't matter.

We attended a Gladys Knight and Saints Unified Choir last night.

Saints Unified is an all-volunteer choir composed of church members from her stake in Las Vegas.

Her stake? 
Yep, She’s a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Both Gladys and her husband, William McDowell spoke to a packed state center here in North Texas, bearing their testimonies and sharing how they met. 

A few things stand out verbatim. 
Br. McDowell once asking as he prayed, “Why’d you wanna go and give your church to a little white boy?” And Heavenly Father’s prayerful reply, that He didn't; He GAVE His Church to our brother.

Our brother.

One of the speakers, less "famous", that traveled with them, had already mentioned he’d discovered he was related to Gladys. Knowing full well the audience would simultaneously cock their heads to ponder… hmmm … He then reminded us all, he was a child of God. Gladys was a child of God. We are all, children of our Heavenly Father and all related. He even caused quite a stir of chuckling when he said in no uncertain terms he was, in fact, a person of color. Appearing quite Caucasian, he said, “here, I have a piece of paper to prove it.” As he picked up a sheet of paper and held his might-not-have-seen-the-sun-in-a-year anglo hand up to the piece of paper, it was obvious. White, is the color of the sheet of paper, his hand – was not white.

Gladys’ husband bore quite a testimony of the Gospel, of the Church, of Heavenly Father and the Savior … and of the importance of our obedience to Heavenly Father in doing what he asked of us, beginning with loving one another.

We all want to go home to God. God wants us all home. All of us. Doesn't matter what shade he picked from His gazillion hued spectrum to paint us with while we are here on earth.

Gladys spoke too, of course. And sang. With and without the choir. She brought tears to my eyes when she performed a rendition of, “I Stand all Amazed”. She’s had 5 grandsons who have served missions.

Like me, she was introduced to the church by her son, and like me, baptized by her son. 

Like me, knows many coincidences are not coincidences.

I’m not a fan of being a fan. I don’t place any variance of importance to the words someone speaks just because they are a celebrity, rich, or famous. I’m not particularly a fan of Gladys Knight.

I don’t mean I dislike her or am not a fan; she’s just from an era that isn't mine. Mine is Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and Joe Jackson.

Her testimony and faith are some of the strongest and most powerful I have ever heard. She has not one grain of shyness about professing her love for the Lord and our Savior and holds nothing back when she says she KNOWS; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, her church, is indeed the one true church.

Her husband spoke of the difference in converting and – transitioning. How can one, after all, be converted from being a Christian to being a Christian.

They both loved God and prayed and tried to be obedient, before joining the church. There is , as we now know   --   so, very much more to know and learn.

It was a refreshing and inspiring evening.