How Far You Have Come by Morgan Harper Nichols

How Far You Have Come by Morgan Harper Nichols

Author:Morgan Harper Nichols [Nichols, Morgan Harper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2021-03-02T00:00:00+00:00


How far am I from New Orleans now?

Not far at all.

I will always remember that place.

A place of silent service,

reverence,

ready to give of myself

without needing to say a word.

For most of our marriage, my husband, Patrick, and I moved all over the map, attempting to make our livelihood in the music industry. We had youthful grit, and we were determined to make it.

But sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, the journey to your dreams can wear you down. Rejection was constant, and bills were mounting. It seemed as soon as we made it through one valley, another would present itself.

We worked hard, we played hard, and we loved our craft. But we were sinking financially, and our lifestyle on the road started to take an emotional toll. We moved all around Atlanta and Nashville, lugging boxes from one apartment to another, trying to find our place in the thriving music scenes.

The rhythms of this unrooted lifestyle were beginning to drain my creativity. I was becoming a version of myself I didn’t enjoy, and playing music began to feel foreign to me, as if someone else was singing when I opened my mouth. I was losing a bit of myself at every tour stop, but we didn’t have the luxury of slowing down and considering how to improve our lives. We were rolling full steam ahead, and we couldn’t find the brakes.

Under the pressure of the industry and of our bank account, I knew we needed something new, but in this valley of life, I couldn’t see a path forward. We needed to find somewhere safe and open to clear our heads. Somewhere we would feel free from comparison and free from seven-dollar lattes.

One summer day, in the midst of a national tour, my husband and I had a few hours to spare at our hotel just outside of Dallas, Texas. Like any tired, broke couple, we decided it was in our best interest to order pizza and turn in early. As we leaned against the tour bus waiting for the pizza guy, we were struck by how the land folded open in every direction. I was amazed at how far the blue skies stretched on.

I was alert for the first time in weeks, maybe months. It was quiet, solemn, serene.

“Are you seeing this, Patrick?”

I could see all around me, for miles. The sun was beginning to set, and a watercolor pool of pinks and purples took over, creating a cotton-candy backdrop for a silhouetted cityscape. After months of exhaustion and disconnection, I finally felt alive to myself once again. Lyrics roared inside of me, and I felt that spark to create.

Patrick gave me a knowing glance, and while we stood outside under the pink sky, we began to discuss the possibility of starting anew in this land. Dallas was the solution we were craving. These open plains promised us freedom and possibility, and the idea of making this our home took root in our hearts.

As the colors began to



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