Yesterday I was mesmerized listening to an interview with Granger Smith. On June 6, 2019, Granger’s youngest son, River Kelly Smith (age 3), died following a drowning accident at his family’s home. It happened the evening before Granger and his band (country western) were supposed to leave on tour. Up to that point, Granger had a relaxed attitude towards Christianity. He describes his pre-tragedy life as “culturally Christian”.
JUST A GUY DOING WHAT HE LOVED BEST
Granger grew up in the church, was very involved in Young Life, and told his mama at age four he was going to become a preacher. As the years went by, music took over his life, and Granger relegated God to a speck in his rearview mirror. It’s not like Granger became a drug addict, led a wild life, or had a prison record. He was just a guy doing what he loved best. Occasionally, when he wasn’t on the road, he attended church. Granger was happily married, had three children, and didn’t give God much thought.
THE “MAN UPSTAIRS”
Granger was a country western music writer and performer. It is so easy and safe when writing lyrics to give “thanks to the Man Upstairs” and mention going to church. At venues, bands would often offer a word of prayer before going on stage. The atmosphere was pretty wholesome. Granger clearly labels all those years before the tragedy as his being lost in “cultural Christianity”. He said he could explain the Gospel easily to anyone. He knew the expected behaviors, but Christ didn’t occupy a significant part of his life. However, cultural Christianity came up short when they lost River. Life hit the fan.
SELF-HELP CAME UP SHORT
Granger was great on self-help books, and he thought he could get himself out of most difficulties. The torment of losing his son dropped him into a pit that seemed bottomless. On his downward spiral of grief, a longtime friend challenged Granger to start reading the Bible.
TRANSFORMED BY TRUTH
God gradually pulled Granger out of the spiral as he began devouring God’s Word. For the first time, Granger developed a hunger for God. His relationship with God now ran much deeper than a nod to the “Man Upstairs”. Granger was no longer a cultural Christian; the friendly good guy comfortable to be around. He became a child of God, transformed by the Truth.
Granger notes that at the end of this life, a good percentage of many faithful church people won’t find themselves in heaven. They know about the “Man Upstairs”, but don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. How about you? Are you living the life of Granger, pre-tragedy? Are you just a cultural Christian?
Click to listen to his story or read his book “Like A River”.