Hello, this is pastor gary from first baptist church of laplata. Today’s “Throwback Thursday” is from Monday, December 21, 2020. I am a Texan, but I spent four great years in West Virginia as a college student. While I never cared for John Denver’s politics, I love his song, “Take Me Home Country Roads.” What I didn’t know is that the song was conceived while driving down Clopper Road, a two lane blacktop off on I-270 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The composers, on their way to a family reunion, originally chose Massachusetts as the state but settled on West Virginia—a state they had never visited. When John Denver heard the song, he loved it and performed it at his next concert in Georgetown announcing to the audience that it was brand new, and he didn’t even know all of the words yet. When the song ended, Denver received a five minute standing ovation. Once recorded, that song delivered John Denver his first platinum single. God’s creation is beautiful no matter where we look; however, West Virginia does seem to have received a little extra dose of rugged beauty. The small, virtually unknown Clopper Road was the inspiration behind one of West Virginia’s—and possibly America’s–most beloved songs. Kind of like the unknown and unimportant girl Mary, whom God chose to carry and deliver the Christ child. Mary’s act of submission and obedience has created the largest and most celebrated holiday in the entire world. Hear Mary’s response in Luke 1:38 upon learning of her role in God’s plan, “Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
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