Beautiful, Beautiful Zion

I'm approximately 22 years late to this party, but how great is Lauryn Hill!?

You may know her as "Rita, diva with a 'tude" from Sister Act 2. lol  I was watching that when the Wilsons were here a couple weeks ago, and I was talking about how fun it was that both Lauryn Hill and the lead singer from City High were the lead vocalists for their 1993 high school choir in that movie.  When Chet asked who she was, I was a little shocked. lol

She's crazy talented and she won five Grammys in 1999, setting the award for the most Grammys by a female artist AND the first Album of the Year award to any hip hop artist (it was presented to her by Whitney Houston - fun).  She started her acceptance speech with "Thank you, God - thank you, Father!" and ended it with "Know that God is great, and He conquers all."

I've known and loved a few of her songs for years (Doo Wop (That Thing), Killing Me Softly, and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You).  All worth looking up!

 

 

 Thanks to two Peloton rides (Robin's 9-11-2020 ride where she tearfully announced her first pregnancy after years of trying + Tunde's 3-17-21 Ms. Lauryn Hill artist series ride - both great), I am now a big fan of the song "To Zion," written for her firstborn baby son (who is, of course, now a grown adult with a child of his own).

 

She had an unplanned pregnancy and was encouraged to terminate the pregnancy or give the baby up... but she turned to God instead.  She writes about that, about feeling angels telling her to pray, about feeling chosen to be his mom, about him being a reflection of God's grace, etc.   

 

"Whoa, this crazy circumstance

I knew his life deserved a chance

But everybody told me to be smart.

'Look at your career,' they said,

'Lauryn, baby, use your head.'

But instead, I chose to use my heart..."

 

When she hits the line, "Now the jooooooy of my woooorld is in Zion," it's so genuine and emotional -- I've listened several times and still can't get through it without tearing up.  Might be partly because of remembering Robin's joyful announcement during that song... so fantastic.

 

"See, I know that a gift so great

Is only one God could create,

And I'm reminded every time I see your face."   

 

Anyway, I really love it, so I decided to share that here.  Enjoy.

Song of the Week = To Zion by Lauryn Hill

 

  

 

 ❤❤❤