I met Shania Twain at the peak of her career; she was the #1 best selling country music artist of all time and truly a mega star! Her hits, “You’re Still The One,” “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” and “From This Moment On,”  were the soundtrack of my life at that time. It was Thanksgiving 1999, and she was filming a TV special at Texas Stadium when I was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

 

 

 

 

I was so pumped to be a part of her special and to meet THE Shania Twain!  I remember marveling at her fame, beauty, and talent. It was a surreal experience to “hang out” with Shania Twain and to realize that she was…well…so normal.  She was actually very curious about us, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and fascinated by what we did…especially those high kicks and crazy jump splits!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember expecting her to be this mentor-like star that would somehow bless us, her fans, with great words of wisdom and over the top graciousness. But really, she seemed just as nervous and self conscious as I felt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I read her autobiography, and I was shocked to learn about her extremely tragic life. She has suffered through poverty, hunger, abuse, her parents’ sudden death from a car wreck when she was very young, and much more. Then at the time I met her, she was facing the ultimate betrayal in her marriage. Her husband was having an affair with her best friend,  which eventually led to their divorce. Everything that she was going through when I met her years ago, was absolutely heartbreaking.

I would have never guessed what her real life was actually like based on what I could see. Appearances and circumstances are deceiving.

Now I see that when I met Shania Twain, she was different than what I selfishly expected…for a very good reason. What a great reminder to always be full of grace!  We just don’t know what people are dealing with and what pain they’re bearing…no matter who they are…or what we believe is true.

Lord help us to see people through your eyes!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.”

Looking back at that very memorable Thanksgiving, I thank God for all of the wonderful opportunities He’s given me. Whether I’m with a superstar like Shania Twain, my precious little family, or complete strangers, I pray I will stop in my tracks, quit judging and instead…extend grace. We all have many types of people in our lives (oh I know some peeps are TOUGH) and God desires for us to show them ALL His love.  You know, only God really knows a person’s true heart. We can’t be a fair judge and we aren’t called to be anyway. We all need grace…we all need forgiveness…we all need the cross! To quote Shania,

“Let every man help his brother


Hallelujah, hallelujah


Let us all love one another!”

Amen!