Personalized

Circa 1981

     My husband and I lived on Hilton Head Island, SC the first eight years of our marriage. When we first moved there, we described ourselves as a poet and singer looking for creativity inspired by beauty. We found it on this idyllic South Carolina barrier island. 
     In 1976, only one stoplight interfered with the island’s population of 6,000.  We shopped at the only grocery store, the iconic Piggly Wiggly. Everyone knew everyone and we lived “a wonderful life.” We slept at night to the sound of waves washing in from the Atlantic Ocean and roamed the beach with our amazing German Shepherd “Moondance.” We slogged in the pluff mud’s unique perfume harvesting oysters, and steamed them outdoors over wood fires. 
     Several years later, I opened a singing telegram company. Singing telegrams were popular back in the 70s and 80s. The island’s population grew and so did my business, Southern Onion Singing Telegram and Balloon Company. My singing characters were quite popular:  Scarlett O’Southern, a tuxedoed troubadour, Curley the Clown, and the “wildly” popular Gloria Gorilla. 

Gloria Gorilla

     I became quite adept at loping into a restaurant announcing myself with a kazoo, locating the birthday or anniversary recipient, and belting out an acapella song. The gorilla suit was so real looking, it frightened guests in restaurants so I quickly solved the problem by asking a friend to make a pink tutu. I topped it off with a pink ribbon on the mask and sported a pink T-shirt that proclaimed, “Ape for you.” Gloria Gorilla was famous on Hilton Head and restaurants sold more drinks and food because the songs made everyone so happy. 
      The songs were not just an ordinary “Happy Birthday to you,” but an original song set to a familiar tune, and totally personalized for the recipient. I found that almost always no one had ever had a song written just for them. When they ordered a singing telegram, loved ones and friends secretly provided the information beforehand. With my handy, now tattered Rhyming Dictionary, I created an original song. Recipients laughed, cried, and especially loved the gorilla hugs dispensed by Gloria.  Pictures captured all the excitement. 
     The concept of “personalized” really held great meaning.  An anniversary or birthday song lit up a recipient’s eyes as the crooner-whether a gorilla, clown or southern belle- sang about their college, birthplace, favorite color, hobbies, children, spouse, and so on. I learned that many islanders framed the copy of their song which was presented after the serenade. Having a personalized song or any other personalized gift  is special to most of us.

     And God Himself is the Designer of Personalization.  Psalm 139:13-16 beautifully describes it this way: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
     Think of it!  God has created billions, maybe trillions, of unique human beings. He personalized each one of us with appearances, talents, abilities, interests, and ethnicities.  Then He designed a redemptive plan available to everyone He ever created. He offers us a Gift and the freedom to either accept or reject it.  Isaiah 49:16 describes this magnificent gift with a profound personalized message which bespeaks of Jesus, our sacrificial Savior: “See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands.”   
     While God the Father offers us the same magnificent Gift of His 

Scarlett O'Southern 

beloved Son, we encounter the Lord in many unique ways that God personalizes to reach into our hearts and introduce Himself. It may be a friend, a book, a pamphlet, a dream, or a crisis which awakens us to Him.God allowed me to see the importance of personalization and the impact on people through my  silly singing telegram company. But more significantly, it opened up for me a new understanding of God’s love and His personalized design for every one of us.  I hope that you too will embrace more of His PERSONAL interest in you! 
                 And remember, God has composed a life song just for you!

#GodWroteASongForYou