As we reflect on the holiday season, celebrating with family and friends, going to parties, and making our New Years resolutions, Joey Feek is just thankful for one more day. In his most recent blog post, Rory Feek admits that the holiday season was particularly hard this year for his wife.
The holidays have been a roller-coaster for my bride. She’s had some good days, some bad days – some wonderful moments, and some deep pain that the morphine just couldn’t seem to touch. How could it… it wasn’t that kind of pain.
They say that at Christmas time emotions run high, and you feel more than you do the rest of the year. I think that’s probably true. Though she managed a smile most of the time, Joey’s heart was heavy and she was feeling some things she hadn’t before…
A sadness. A fear of the unknown. And even some anger – not at God, just at her situation I suppose. It’s not easy for her to be as excited about what the new year holds in store as it was last year.
But she says she’s seen the light, and she’s over that now…
All of her new emotions she has been feeling aside, Joey has “seen the light,” as Rory stated. He proceeds to share a story of gospel music legends, Bill and Gloria Gaither.
If you don’t know who Bill Gaither and his wife Gloria are, please take a moment and look them up. They are legendary songwriters and artists in the gospel music world. Bill’s song “He Touched Me” has been recorded by everyone and his brother, including Elvis. And the hymnals in most churches around the country are filled with pages and pages of their songs of faith, inspiration and hope. Songs like “Because He Lives”, “Something Beautiful” and “Jesus, There’s Just Something About That Name” to name a few.
Long before their gospel music empire came to be, Bill and Gloria were both teachers in the local high school in Joey’s hometown. Both Joey’s parents were students of the Gaithers in the late 1960’s. And though in the past 50 years the Gaithers have become known all over the world, they still live in the same small town and are a part of every day life in Alexandria. When the Gaithers aren’t on the road, Bill visits Joey faithfully, sitting by her bed and sharing jokes and stories until their faces hurt from smiling.
Rory goes on to tell a story of a night before Christmas, they noticed a big fire burning by the gazebo on the other side of the pond from the window in Joey’s room. Bill had built a bonfire with the hope that Joey could see it. Rory uses Bill Gaither’s bonfire as a metaphor for the light that has been shined upon the Feek’s by their family and friends around the world who have showed their support during Joey’s cancer battle.
I looked over at Joey watching the flames, beaming ear-to-ear… and found myself doing the same thing.
That’s the thing about someone burning with passion – the whole world can see their light. They have something that shines so bright inside them, others can’t help but notice it in their eyes and on their faces and in their actions. They use their lives to provide some light in a dark world that can be overwhelming and scary at times.
Please join us and continue to pray for a miracle for Joey and Rory! To read Rory’s full blog post, click here.
