“ His Gift , My Story ” by Kim Collingsworth
W
In her warm and deeply personal memoir , Kim Collingsworth gives an unprecedented glimpse behind the scenes of her journey . She shares the wisdom she ’ s gained amidst the gritty and glorious moments of life and how God used his ever-present Word to guide , strengthen , and give her life-changing insights .
Here we share the introduction to her book His Gift , My Story . Be encouraged as you read about how God used the uncertain days during the COVID shutdown to provide the time needed for Kim to rest , reflect , and put her remarkable story on paper .
hat ’ s happening !?
Sunday , March 15 , 2020 , dawned crisp and bright . “ Black Pearl ,” as our Prevost H3-45 tour bus is affectionately named , carried us across the heartland of the nation for the twenty-hour trip home to Mt . Orab , Ohio . We stood before an audience in Keene , Texas , the previous night , our third concert of the weekend . It seemed like any other concert weekend of the past twenty years . The Collingsworth Family had traversed the highways of the continental United States and Canada many times . But today , everything was changing .
Phil ’ s cell phone buzzed continuously as we traveled toward home . Each text , email , or voicemail signaled another concert postponement or cancellation . Alarm , uncertainty , and fear were almost palpable in the atmosphere around us .
The nation was gripped with fear of the largely unknown coronavirus , COVID-19 . Media outlets were spewing frightening statistics about hospitalizations , ventilator shortages , and ever-soaring death rates . Government officials were establishing task forces , and public health officials were making dire predictions .
As we pulled into the P & KC Music warehouse that evening , the conversations were subdued , contemplative , and questioning , as each individual family unit gathered their belongings and transferred them to their vehicles . After slipping off into the night to their respective homes , quiet settled over The Collingsworth Family homeplace . Phil and I set our luggage down in our bedroom and wished Olivia a good night . We brewed fresh coffee and sat down together , exchanging questioning looks and wondering aloud , “ What is happening !?” In just one day , our world had come to a sudden standstill , as had the worlds of so many others , including our fellow artists and music industry colleagues .
RENEWANATION . ORG 15