15/07/2017

In the midst of expounding on the late Amy Winehouse, I found what Paul Lester wrote in his contribution to theGuardian with the title of “Whitney and Amy: worlds-apart artists who wound up in the same place.’ (1)

I was a puzzled why Paul used the phrase of ‘wound up’ as the title of his article, but I have appreciated how Paul Lester insightfully compare and contrast Amy and Whitney in line of their personalities, up brings and their talents in music.

Unlike Whitney, Amy didn’t have the ‘mainstream showbiz linkage,’ but Amy wrote her own songs and lyrics to tell her stories. So Amy’s popularity was a true validation of her as the gifted Singer/Song writer.

Whereas Whitney was a Christian, with deep trace of gospel in her voice. As for Amy who had a Jewish up bring. With their ‘world-apart differences, they were both sadly wound up ‘stumbling wrecks dependent on ‘bad boys and drugs.

 15-02-2012 edit

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

 ‘To everything there is a season; A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plants, and a time to pluck what is planted;

I have never been a real fan of either artist. It was few months earlier that Amy died. And now Whitney was found dead, drowning in the hotel room. Immediately, Whitney’s candid dialogue with Oprah Winfrey(2 )in the exclusive interview (2009) came to my recollection.

My heart went to her for her emotional afflictions that she had to go through, as a public figure. I was puzzled, at first, as she helplessly devoted to her husband. And it made a lot of sense when she said that she was addicted to her love for him, and he was like drug to her.

But her testimony of ‘‘come through moment’ at the interview was up lifting and edifying. She openly professed that it was the Spirit of God that had sustained her through out, and she had humbly claimed nothing on her own efforts and strength for it.

I was then, facilitating a Monday night women’s Bible study at the church. So I shared what I heard from the interview with ladies in the class, and invited them to pray for her, only whenever they felt led to pray, and we were all in agreement that Whitney Houston needed prayer supports.

Then she died, and few days later, I watched the Anderson Cooper Live, on CNN, with few Medical Doctors on the panel; the discussion was centered on the terms of ‘Drug Death’ or ‘Pill death’ that quoted by the MDs to reveal the horrific drug abuse situation in Hollywood.

It revealed that most of the entertainers would rely on prescription drugs to ease up their pressure in their line of works or to handle their instant success that led to. It all started off with addiction, then it led to death on drug over doses.

The panel cited all the drug-related deaths such as Michael Jackson (June, 2009), Amy Winehouse (July 2011), Whitney Houston (February 2012) and definitely Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe were also mentioned.

As my daily scriptures reading from Philippians 4:10-20, I learned that even Apostle Paul had to learn to be contented by asking his dear Lord to give him the ‘spiritual muscle to endure lean times and to avoid the pitfalls of abundance’ – OurDailyBread 15/02/2012 

As the media would keen to focus on what Whitney died of? I wished to know, definitely on why she died pre-maturely? She was gifted with a unique voice in singing, she was good to look at from all angles, and she always professed her love for Jesus.

Is it because her spiritual muscle was not strong enough to save her at the end? It brought warmth to my heart to know that a private funeral service was schedule to hold in her home church where she used to sing for God, there, when she was only 11.

I am sure that it would be a God glorifying funeral service, and a good sent off for Whitney. I was led to pray with the following scripture, as God would minister to her family, especially her daughter and her fans, all over the world.

Evidently, in Whitney’s case, for whatever our dear Lord of God, Jesus, gave and HE was taken it back. We shall rejoice that Whitney has finally found her rest and her true Love that’s in the bosom of her Daddy God, and Whitney could sing her heart all out to Jesus that ‘I Would Always Love You!(3)

Romans 8:38-39

(38) For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 p.s.

Bobbie Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston’s daughter tragically died at 22, on July 26, 2015, was she also wound up in the same place like what her mother was at?

 Stay Tuned

 Kay

 

1. (Paul Lester for the Guardian – Last modified on Tuesday 14 February 2017 25 GMT)

2.  Oprah.com/whitney houston interview

3.  https://en.wikipedia.org/…/Grammy_Award_for_Record_of.