Reflections And Thoughts On The Life Of Whitney Houston

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Last night Greg and I watched the Oprah interview with legendary Whitney Houston. It was a great interview – I didn’t know what to expect, quite honestly.  If I had listened to what I was reading by others about her life – or those that didn’t like her and her choices in life, then I would have been swayed in a bad way.  But I listened for myself and found her to be a wounded and sad woman who became famous too young – in an industry that robbed her of her personal life.  In much the same way that the media and paparazzi ruined the lives of Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe.  We all know their sad ending.

I also found out more about her rich church family heritage and her strong mom and other family members who reached out to her  – trying to help when she was drowning. I found out about her drug addiction and more importantly the addiction to her husband Bobby Brown.  Those in emotionally abusive relationships can relate to what she said about the years she hung in there – thinking there was something wrong with her – while others tried to step in.  She stood by him for years – in much the same way Amy Grant stood by her husband, Gary Chapman for many years while he had an addiction problem.

I also learned that drugs and abuse can alter your personality and make you choose things you normally would not.  And the pain of changing those abusive tendencies can come with a high cost.  And it takes a lot of courage to leave.

I listened without judgement as she talked about her choice to walk away from performing, her years of drug abuse, years of pain and abuse in her marriage – and finally her renewed faith in God and the roots that she relied heavily upon,  her mom and other family and friends who have reached out to her.

I believe, and cannot prove – that the interview she gave to Oprah two years ago – ultimately led to her demise.  She was candid and honest about things that others may not have been pleased to have had exposed.  I believe she was on a good track – had left Bobby and was living with her daughter to try to regain her freedom and her life back.  She was singing again with the help and promotion from friend and former manager, Clive Davis – and seemed really happy.

When someone dies – especially those in the lime light of Hollywood – it is easy to make them out to be a target of our criticism – and somehow lump everyone into the same category – SINFUL.  It simply is not so.  As Christians we need to be an active presence in the arenas of entertainment and media – so others can learn the true source of strength, those filled with the love of Jesus who do not judge – and are truly “filled with the fruit of the spirit” for others to see.  We need to be people who attract lost people – not repel them by our comments and remarks.  We need to treat drug and alcohol abuse like the sickness that it is – and not just simply someone’s “bad choice”.  And we need to have compassion and love for those that are drowning and lost in a bad abusive marriage and spinning out of control in an addiction.

Lord help us.  May we live by example to a lost and dying world.  May we always keep judgement out of our hearts and lives – I pray that you would convict us of this.

As the services are going on for Whitney today – I pray for her family, her mom, her daughter and those that knew her best – and knew she was just a person who had weaknesses and was not strong like the media made her out to be.    I pray that they will find strength and comfort today – and be comforted by some of the interview with Oprah as Whitney talked about leaning on the love of God and His infinite grace.

God Bless

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