Everyone has a song. A song that stops you in your tracks as the flood of memories come rushing in – invited or not.

It's the song you play when you're happy and want to rejoice. It's the song you curl up to when you're sad and want to be alone. Aye – some folks may claim have more then one 'song'. Yet, I believe that deep down, we all have that one song that we go back to when we want to be reminded of the Lord's mercy.

For me that song is "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray.

I play it when I want to tune out the world and write a paper. I play it when I'm down and want to remember all that God has done for me. I play it when I want to rejoice and have a party. It is the one song that makes me stop and close my eyes when I hear it on the radio.

As soon as the first few notes touch my ears I'm transported to a dairy barn in Oklahoma during the early 1990's. Manure and fly specs covering everything; a black duel-cassette radio hanging from the rafters by a piece of bailing wire with a coat-hanger sticking out of the antenna to pick up 92.9 KBEZ. I'm standing alone in the pit with a bleach bucket and rag with only the music to keep me going. "Drift Away" became my anthem:

Day after day, I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light through the pourin' rain

[@more@]It echoed the cry of my heart as I struggled through the trials of adolescent.

Beginnin' to think that I'm wastin' time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind

It provided me an escape from the life – no more cleaning, no more fights, no more struggles, no more disappointments.

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll
And drift away

As I grew older, it continued to comfort me as the world fell apart around me and I was forced to face my demons.

And when I'm feelin' blue
The guitar's comin' through
To soothe me

Today, ten plus years later, "Drift Away" still pulls me on toward the Kingdom – reminding me of the battles won and lost; the tears stained eyes of discouragement and joy; the broken heart and mended soul; all wrapped up in the sound waves of one song.

Thanks for the joy that you've given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
And rhythm and rhyme and harmony
You help me along
Makin' me strong

What's your song?