Hallelujah in Hollywood

I am writing this post as a word document since the Los Angeles airport does not offer free wi-fi. This trip to LAX might be redeeming this airport from top five list of horrible airports…I got here in plenty of time, the girl at starbucks was pleasant, and its not even crowded at this early point in the morning. Even the ‘people’ noises (guess who left her headphones at home?) seem kind of pleasant in my ears…not unlike the chirping of happy little birds.

Can you tell it was a good weekend?

It was. Hallelujah in Hollywood.

Beth said to me as on Sunday night after we left the after party hand in hand, “can you please stamp my passport now that we’ve left surreal world?” Done. Stamped. Finito.

Stacey (Beth’s manager), brother Aaron, and I followed behind while Beth, BMW (EMI rep), and Christina the Publicist were whisked onto the red carpet an hour before the premiere of “Dreamer”. I always imagined (with the help of TV and US Weekly photos) that the red carpet experience went something like this: a limo pulls up, the famous person is helped out of the shiny, black car while waving like royalty directly onto this long red carpet lined with reporters leading straight to the theater. Its really much more ‘forced’ than that. For one thing, the carpet is really a giant square that the stars parade onto with their publicists. They walk around the perimeter of that red square until its time for the movie to begin…around and around. Like a lot of things, seen up close, it isn’t that glamorous. The mega-fans scream from the streets along with the crowd of media persons directing, “to your left” or “Dakota, look straight ahead”. It reminded me of the zoo.

I watched my baby sister (who didn’t look like much of a baby) take her first step into that madness flanked by her cool NY publicist and BMW with his digital camera. Christina scurried ahead prepping the media about Beth and handing out press kits with pictures and bios and the like. Beth followed cautiously a few steps behind, trying to smile real smiles and answering the same few questions over and over. I kept thinking two things: 1.) is this for real? Is her song really in a movie with little Dakota Fanning and the legend Kurt Russell? And 2.) she is so beautiful.

Even though no one knew her name, everyone wanted to talk to her. I laughed to myself as Access Hollywood shoved a mic in her face.

There’s only one word for this: Favor.

The madness died down and we entered the theater and sat in our assigned seats. Beth was freaking out about standing next to Kris Kristofferson and the lady sitting in front of us turned around. “I am his wife. Who are you?” Beth gasped, smiled, and introduced herself. Mrs. Kristofferson exclaimed that her 4 nieces are big fans and Beth ended up signing a CD.

Favor.

The movie was beautiful and moving. I teared up several times and I would tell you about them, but I don’t want to ruin it. Just go see the movie when it opens on October 21. you won’t be sorry. Tearing up was nothing compared to the emotion that hit me at the end of the movie when I heard Beth’s voice begin to sing “love woke me up this morning…” I couldn’t stop the tears from wetting my face, not that I cared to. I leaned my face into Beth’s hair, smelling her shampoo, and all I could get out was “I am so proud of you”. The credits rolled and there was her name.

I was proud of her and not because her song is in a movie or because her name rolls on the credits of a film. I am proud because none of that has changed her. I have always said God can give Beth these kinds of things because she doesn’t want them more than she wants to Him and because the praise of men doesn’t affect her. Case in point.

The after party was more of a zoo than the red carpet, so I found a spot along the wall where I could stay out of the way for the most part and just watched. Their were children everywhere…Elizabeth Shue’s little girl was stomping her foot on the ground and screamed ‘Mommy!’ at the top of her lungs. She wanted to sit near Dakota. There were photographers everywhere trying to snap a shot of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn (who by the way, was wearing a bright yellow outfit she has been criticized for wearing before…we secretly loved that she wore it anyways!J) We bumped into 11 year old Dakota who thankfully still looks and acts like a little girl. Beth got pictures with everyone (thanks, Publicist Christina!) and also got to meet the director and composer, who gushed over her song.

I am not sure at what point in the night I realized this, but at that fancy restaraunt they were playing Beth’s new cd. At a Hollywood movie premier after party they were playing Beth’s album. An album all about the redemption of God and his never-tiring love… just playing barely audibly above the hustle and bustle of all of the famous faces and influential people. The chorus above me rang out “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, whatever is in front of me , help me to sing Hallelujah” and those tears found their way back to my eyes. It occurred to me that a blessing was being sung tenderly over these unsuspecting souls. Isn’t God clever?

Hand in hand, we skipped about half of the way back to the car in our boots and heels. Beth squeezed my hand and we remembered something Pastor Ricks always says. “why would you be surprised if you were standing at the very back of the line and the person in charge looked down the line, passing everyone in front of you, and called out to you ‘hey, you- at the very back- come to the front of the line’ Why would the favor of God surprise you?”

Talk about the front of the line- Monday we visited the biggest mainstream radio company on the west coast and then we visited R&R (which you music fans know is a big deal- radio & Records…the ones who track radio and cd sales, where the infamous ‘charts’ come from). Everyone loved Beth (not that it’s a shock) . She had a little blurb in Time magazine this week right next to a picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (check it out) and she plays live on CNN this coming Sunday. She had beat out Sheryl Crow and Avril Lavigne and even the “I hope you dance” lady of country music for this spot on the Dreamer soundtrack.

We lagged just a few paces behind the rest of the entourage who were complaining about their shoes and still pinching themselves and took a second to look up at the moon together…just shining up in the dark sky…and we knew who was the real Star of the show…. There was no doubt who was getting the glory. I said “I love that Hallelujah was being sung at a Dreamworks after party and no one even seemed to notice. Its fun to be in on what God is doing…to see Him moving…when it often goes on so under the radar.” “And I was at the end of the line,” she said and we smiled at each other the way only sisters can when they know they share a special secret.