Sydney and a Sad Song

Date September 11, 2008

I was twenty years old the first time I ran away. I ran from all the things I knew and my friends and a life that was beating me up in all sorts of ways. I ran long and far and ended up in The Royal National Park right outside of Sydney, Australia.

That year was the best and hardest of my life. I couldn’t have been any further from home and the only friend I had was two hours away in the Blue Mountains. But there was Jesus and He was good to me. He loved me and held me and broke me into a million pieces. So that in the end all I could do was cling to Him and weep.

Which is what I should have been doing all along.

My first morning in Australia was September 12, 2001 which happened to be September 11th at home and the memory of being woken from a jet lagged stupor by people that I didn’t love yet still haunts me.

A Sad Song.

Shaun Groves. artist, blogger, musician, man of compassion.

Category Posted in Uncategorized

4 Responses to “Sydney and a Sad Song”

  1. Kylie said:

    September 12th, 2008 at 5:30 am

    Wow Em… i’m sitting at work reading this and tears started streaming down my face like someone turned the tap on.
    What a journey it was here in sydney!! So many memories came flouding back to me as i sat and reflecked over the time we shared together tears, laughing so hard our tummies hurt, hearing from our Loving God, runs up that never ending dirt road, struggling to understand each other at first and much much more.
    The strongest feeling and memory is our friendship, oh my gosh girl i miss you! God blessed both our lives with each other, a relationship that is still strong with so many miles between us.
    I better now go dry my eyes and pull myself together before the others walkin the office.
    Love You heaps! Miss You More than Ever
    xox

    What about how we couldn’t understand half of what we were saying to each other at first, instead we’d end up in stitches of laughter!! 🙂

  2. Nieca said:

    September 12th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

    MAY WE NEVER FORGET!!! Being at Fort Irwin, when our base was called to Iraq will forever be a memory. That summer was so filled with emotions. Some of our dearest friends, neighbors, and just friendly faces were leaving and the uncertainty of war stared me in the face. I played the piano for a multitude of funerals/memorial services that summer and each and every one of them left me in tears. Good song, Em, and way too familiar pictures!!!!

    I’m so proud of you and am totally enjoying seeing your heart every morning!!!! LOVE YOU!!!

  3. Lou said:

    September 12th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    Moving! I do pray that our country never forgets THAT DAY and THAT TIME. Our patriotism and unity swelled my heart. I was still with Factory Connection at the time and drove from town to town and you would see the American flag flying every where you looked, homes and businesses.

    And I know you didn’t know it at the time but I thought of you that day because I wasn’t sure where you were at the time. I knew you were flying around those dates but because I didn’t know your flight schedule or exact dates of flying I did pray you were okay.

  4. Dani said:

    September 12th, 2008 at 11:33 pm

    I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when it started. I was working as usual. We stayed glued to the tv all day and did very little work. I bet I called my husband 100 times. I knew he was only a few minutes down the road, but I for some reason needed to hear his voice. Also, if you remember, Abbey was born in October of that year. It took me a few days to get over the fact that I was bringing another child into a world that had so much conflict.

    I am thankful that I live in this country and for the many men and women that serve in our military.