Dear God, I watched the video above last night about the song “Hurt.” It was written by the lead man for Nine-Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, ironically before he fell into a deep and self-destructive pattern of addiction. It was almost a premonition of what was to come. About ten years after he wrote and recorded it, Johnny Cash covered it less than a year before his death.
You’ll notice I put one word in brackets above: thorns. That’s the word that changed it from a Nine-Inch Nails song to a Johnny Cash song. Reznor was writing in hopelessness. Of just wanting to let go from all of the destruction he had caused to himself and those around him. His empire of dirt had nothing to offer anyone. Hopeless. Helpless. Those are the words that keep coming to my mind over and over again when I think about Reznor’s version.
Cash’s version, however, is possibly more about what your gospel is about than anything–any other song. YOU can have it all. Reznor is talking to the unknown “you.” The “you” who is the audience. Cash is talking to YOU.
My wife and I just watched the series “Daisy Jones and the Six,” which is based on a bestselling book my wife loves. In it, I saw a lot of empire of nothing. I saw a lot of emptiness and destruction. Self-destruction. Even one character’s sobriety was about abstaining from substances, not healing and finding healthy ways to go through life.
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. thank you for taking all of my…well, my empire of dirt. Thank you for hurting for me. Thank you for the hope that Cash had when he died. I’m sure he still had doubts in his heart that you could love him like he wanted to be loved. I pray that Mr. Reznor might know that hope. I pray that you will help me to share that hope with others. Yes, I will die one day. Yes, I will leave behind assets to my wife or divided among my children (should I outlive her). But it’s all a pile of dirt. There is a lot of pain mixed up in all of that. There is a lot of sin. There is a lot of selfishness. But you have set me free from it. As I sit here right now, I can sit here in peace. I can sit here knowing that shame doesn’t have to have a place in my life because of the crown of thorns you endured. Because of the nails. Because you cared. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I pray all of this through the power of this amazing gift from you,
I turned on the evening news Saw an old man being interviewed Turning a hundred and two today
Asked him what’s the secret to life? He looked up from his old pipe Laughed and said, “All I can say is
Don’t blink, just like that you’re six years old And you take a nap And you wake up and you’re twenty-five And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don’t blink, you just might miss Your babies growing like mine did Turning into moms and dads Next thing you know your better half
Of fifty years is there in bed And you’re praying God takes you instead Trust me friend a hundred years Goes faster than you think, so don’t blink
I was glued to my TV, when it looked Like he looked at me and said “Best start putting first things first”
‘Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand You can’t flip it over and start again Take every breathe God gives you for what it’s worth
Don’t blink, ’cause just like that you’re six years old And you take a nap And you wake up and you’re twenty-five And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don’t blink, you just might miss Your babies growing like mine did Turning into moms and dads Next thing you know your better half
Of fifty years is there in bed And you’re praying God takes you instead Trust me friend a hundred years Goes faster than you think, so don’t blink
So I’ve been trying to slow it down I’ve been trying to take it in In this ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ world we’re living in
So don’t blink, ’cause just like that you’re six years old And you take a nap And you wake up and you’re twenty-five And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don’t blink, you just might miss Your babies growing like mine did Turning into moms and dads Next thing you know your better half
Of fifty years is there in bed And you’re praying God takes you instead Trust me friend a hundred years Goes faster than you think, so don’t blink
No, don’t blink
Don’t blink Life goes faster than you think So don’t blink
Dear God, I started this on Wednesday morning, but I’ve truly been so busy I haven’t been able to get back to it. It was an incredibly busy week at work, but it was good too. Very good. I’m grateful. You answered a lot of prayers–especially for our fundraising dinner Tuesday night. My wife did the invocation for about 290 people in attendance, and part of it was leading everyone in the first verse and chorus of “To God Be The Glory.” It set the tone for the rest of the night. It was inspired, and I really felt like the Holy Spirit was among us all evening. I am humbled and grateful. Did we raise money and reach our goals? Yes. But more importantly, it felt like everyone (or at least everyone I talked to) left feeling inspired and joyful. I pray they realized from all we said and did that they understood it was you they were feeling.
I was meeting with a friend Wednesday afternoon and we were talking about his struggles and stresses at work. I asked him a question that, to my surprise, seemed to unnerve him a little. I asked, “What do you do to take care of yourself?” He didn’t have an answer for it. I talked to him a day later and it was still sitting with him. He told me the next day that he was realizing he was doing a lot of religious things but he wasn’t really paying any attention to his relationship with you.
So how does all of this relate to this Kenny Chesney song? Well, the second verse has rolled around in my head ever since I heard this song earlier this week:
I was glued to my TV, when it looked Like he looked at me and said “Best start putting first things first”
‘Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand You can’t flip it over and start again Take every breathe God gives you for what it’s worth
Especially the line, “Best start putting first things first.” I think at some point when we mature as adults we wrestle with the question of what is the first thing that I should be putting first? It made me think of the “One thing” line from the movie City Slickers:
By the end of the movie, Billy Crystal’s character decided that his “one thing” was his family. That was the most important thing to him. But I’ve learned something different over the years. And this would probably hurt some feelings to hear this, but, frankly, it isn’t fair to my family to make them my “one thing.”
I was listening to a pastor interviewed in June 2020 about surviving Covid and the pastor interviewing him asked him if he had one particular message to share with people. He said (my paraphrase), “Yes. We have made an idol out of certainty. We put our certainty in our spouse, our children, our job, our health, our economy, our government, etc. But God is the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” At that point, as I’ve recounted here many times in the past, I started evaluating all of the things in my life that caused me angst and tried to honestly evaluate whether or not they had become idols to me. And I’ve identified a few. The U.S. military was one that I am ashamed to admit was an idol. When I hear about an advancement that another country like China or Russia has over us (like hypersonic missiles), it bothers me. Why? Ninety-five percent of the world goes to bed each night without the protection of the United States Military, and an awful lot of them are Christians and yet they are somehow able to sleep. Why is that so important to me? It’s an idol I’ve used to give me a sense of certainty. I’m sure there are more idols I haven’t identified, and I’m sorry for that.
So what’s my one thing? What is my first thing that must be put first? It’s you. It’s my relationship with you. It’s the submitting of myself to the two great commandments: Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself. To quote Curly in the City Slickers quote above, “[If I] do that [then] everything else don’t mean s***.”
Father, it’s hard to do. It’s so much easier to put my certainty and priorities on tangible things. But Billy Crystal’s character Mitch will one day learn that his family can’t be his one thing either. It’s not fair to them. If you are my one thing then you will make sure I am loving my family the way I need to. If I am listening to your Holy Spirit, then you will guide me into loving them well. Thursday morning, I was getting my haircut and your Spirit nudged me to pay for the haircut of the man behind me. Later, the barber told me that the man, who was there with his wife, was just laid off from a business that closed and he was there to get a haircut as he went out and applied for jobs. That humbled and delighted me. Not because I did something nice, but because I must have heard your Holy Spirit talking to me and I acted upon it. So I give you everything. You are my first thing that I will put first. You are my one thing. To quote Rich Mullins from his song “One Thing,” “Everybody I know says they need just one thing. But what they really mean is they need just one thing more.” Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, if I live the life of Job and you take away everything, I would hope that I could say that you are still the only one thing that I need.
I pray all of this through the grace of Jesus through the blood he shed for me,
It’s a cold, cold world That we walk in through. Lay down the burden of your heart. But it’s warm as toast Walking two by two, Lay down the burden of your heart.
Lay down the burden of your heart. I know you’ll never miss it. Show your Daddy where it hurts, And let your Daddy lift it.
It’s a fine, fine line Betwixt love and hate. Why, it’s tough to tell the two apart. But you know it’s love That He offers you. Lay down the burden of your heart.
Lay down the burden of your heart. I know you’ll never miss it. Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts, And let your Daddy lift it.
Lay down the burden of your heart. I know you’ll never miss it. Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts, And let your Daddy lift it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts, And let your Daddy lift it.
Songwriters: Adrian Plass / David Clifton / Ian David Blythe / Philip Andrew Baggaley
Dear God, the other day I was doing a prayer through the song “The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets that I told you at the time I normally sing for others, but maybe it was meant for me. This song is the opposite. I normally sing this old Amy Grant song for myself, but this morning, I have a couple of people on my heart for whom I want to sing this. They are hurting. From a distance, it seems like they are trying to figure out how to lay them down, but they don’t know how. One in particular doesn’t seem to know to to submit to you and let go. This song this morning is for them. It’s my prayer for them.
This song is off of Amy Grant’s second album, “My Father’s Eyes,” released in 1979. I remember my dad owning the LP. As I recall (and this could be wrong because it’s been a long time), the liner notes had a message from Amy to the girls in her dorm. She was 19-ish when she was recording this album so her life was unique at this point. I’m sure she looks back now as a 63-year-old woman and wonders how she had the audacity to tell anyone anything about you at such a young age. I certainly do when I look back on my naivete from when I was younger and hadn’t gone through some of life’s trials that accumulate over the years of living. I can’t help but wonder what kind of burdens were on the heart of 19-year-old Amy that she had in mind as she sang vs. the burdens on 63-year-old Amy’s life. I can tell you that 19-year-old me had a totally different view of life than 53-year-old me has.
Looking back on this song, the verses are okay, but it’s the chorus mixed with her soft voice that makes it comforting. “Lay down the burden of your heart. I know you’ll never miss it. Show your daddy where it hurts, and let your daddy lift it.”
Father, I am rifling through a list of people in my head right now who are carrying burdens that need laid down. This is my prayer for them. Show me my role in their lives. Raise up others in their lives who can speak into them with your voice. Bring them to you. Bring them (and me) into repentance and the freedom that you offer through it. Oh, please be merciful. And show me how to lay down the burdens on my heart as well.
I pray all of this through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection for my sake,
No longer what we were before, But not all that we will be. Tomorrow, when we lock the door, On all our compromising, When He appears, He’ll draw us near, And we’ll be changed by His glory, Wrapped up in His glory….
We will be like Him, For we shall see Him, As He is.
No longer what we saw before, But not all that we will see. Tomorrow, when we lock the door, On all our disbelieving, When He appears (holy, holy), Our view will clear, And we’ll be changed by His glory, Wrapped up in His glory….
But I’m caught in between The now and the not yet; Sometimes it seems like Forever and ever, That I’ve been reaching to be All that I am, But I’m only a few steps nearer, Yet I’m nearer….
No longer what we were before, But not all that we will be. Tomorrow, when we lock the door, On all our disbelieving, And He appears (holy, holy), He’ll draw us near, And we’ll be changed by His glory, Wrapped up in His glory….
When He appears (holy, holy), He’ll draw us near, And we’ll be changed by His glory, Wrapped up in His glory….
Dear God, I was lying down for a nap yesterday and this song came on my iPod. It is from a mid-80s Amy Grant album called Straight Ahead. I’ve always liked it and I’ve known it has great lyrics–there’s a reason it’s on my phone nearly 40 years later–but yesterday might be the first time I stopped to let the lyrics sweep over me. I talked about it later with my wife when we were on a walk, and she was familiar with the song too. We both started quoting the lyrics back and forth to each other, appreciating the sentiment.
For me, what really blessed me was the bridge:
But I’m caught in between The now and the not yet; Sometimes it seems like Forever and ever, That I’ve been reaching to be All that I am, But I’m only a few steps nearer, Yet I’m nearer….
It’s frustrating to have been discipling and following you for over 35 years and not feel like I’ve grown more than I have. I’m caught between who I was before Jesus and who I will be on the other side of the death divide–heaven. Oh, how I would love to be completely that person now! I would love to not sin. I would love to not let my cultural biases get in the way of the truth you want to teach me. I would love to not judge. I would love to love my wife and children perfectly. I would love to be all of these things, but I just can’t. I’m not there yet. But I can decisively say that I have learned things and grown over the last 35 years, 20 years, 10 years, year, 6 months, 6 weeks, 6 days, 6 hours, and even 6 minutes. “I’m only a few steps nearer, yet I’m nearer.”
Father, I commit to this journey. It is truly forming me. I talked with a friend yesterday who went through what maybe was the worst trial of his life over the last few weeks, and he ashamedly admitted to me that it was the best his prayer life has ever been. I’ve been there. Good times don’t drive me to my knees, but struggles sure do. So thank you for the struggles. Not that you caused them (as we learned from James), but you walk with me through them and redeem them to form me. Whatever you’re doing, please don’t let me get in the way and do it for your glory.
I pray all of this through the grace and blood of Jesus,
Dear God, I used to sing these three songs to my children at bedtime when they were little. I just want to sing them to you by typing out all of their lyrics before I go to be tonight.
“I Will Sing” by Rich Mullins
I will sing for the meek For those who pray With their very lives for peace Though they’re in chains For a higher call Their mourning will change in laughter When the nations fall
In spirit poor, In mercy rich They hunger for your righteousness Their hearts refined into purity Lord, let me shine for them Lord, let me sing Lord, let me shine for them Lord, let me sing
“First Family” by Rich Mullins
My folks they were always The first family to arrive Seven people jammed into a car That seated five There was one bathroom To bathe and shave in Six of us stood in line And hot water for only three But we all did just fine
Talk about your miracles Talk about your faith My dad he could make things grow Out of Indiana clay Mom could make a gourmet meal Out of just cornbread and beans And they worked to give faith hands and feet But somehow gave it wings
I can still hear my dad cussin’ He’s working late out in the barn The spring plantings are coming And the tractors just won’t run Mom, she’s done the laundry I can see it waving on the line Now they’ve stayed together Through pain and the strain of those times
Talk about your miracles Talk about your faith My dad he could make things grow Out of Indiana clay Mom could make a gourmet meal Out of just cornbread and beans And they worked to give faith hands and feet But somehow gave it wings
Now they’ve raised five children But one winter they lost a son But the pain didn’t leave them crippled Only scars that made them strong
Never picture perfect Just a plain man and his wife Who somehow knew the value Of hard work, good love, and real life
Talk about your miracles Talk about your faith My dad he could make things grow Out of Indiana Clay Mom could make a gourmet meal Out of just cornbread and beans And they worked to give faith hands and feet But somehow gave it wings
“The Love of God” by Rich Mullins
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy I cannot find in my own And it keeps this fire burning To melt this heart of stone Keeps me aching with the yearning Keeps me glad to have been caught In the reckless raging fury That they call the love of God
I have seen no band of angels But I’ve heard the soldiers’ song Love hangs over them like a banner Love within them leads them on To the battle on the journey And it’s never gonna stop Ever widening their mercy And the fury of His love
Oh, the love of God! Oh, the love of God! The love of God!
Joy and sorrow are this ocean It’s in their every ebb and flow Now, the Lord a door has opened That all hell could never close Here I’m tested and made worthy Tossed about, yet lifted up In the reckless raging fury That they call the love of God
Father, I pray these songs over my wife, me, our children, and their significant others tonight.
Three in the morning and I’m still awake So I picked up a pen and a page And I started writing just what I’d say If we were face to face
I’d tell you just what you mean to me Tell you these simple truths
Be strong in the Lord and Never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got his hand on you so Don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray These are the words I would say
Last time we spoke you said you were hurting And I felt your pain in my heart I want to tell you that I keep on praying Love will find you where you are
I know, ’cause I’ve already been there So please hear these simple truths
Be strong in the Lord and Never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got his hand on you so Don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray These are the words I would say
From one simple life to another I will say Come, find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord and Never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got his hand on you so Don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray Thank God for each day His love will find a way These are the words I would say
Songwriters: Sam Mizell / David Frey / Ben McDonald
Dear God, there are a couple of people for whom I would love to write the words/sentiments of this song, but I cannot. It hurts my heart that I cannot write them to them. It hurts my heart that I don’t think they could 1.) hear them and 2.) hear them from me.
My prayer today is that these words can be true for them someday. But as I sit here and think about them now, maybe they aren’t about them. Maybe, in this moment, they are meant for me. I hadn’t heard this song in a long time, but it came up on the radio a couple of days ago and I’ve kind of had it on a loop. In my heart I’ve been thinking about those I love, but maybe I need this right now. Maybe they are for others I love who can receive them.
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–my Triune God–thank you for this encouragement. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for praying to the Father for me. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me, teaching me through your example, and comforting me through your empathy. Thank you, Father, for bothering to care about me at all, much less loving me so extravagantly. I am humbled and grateful.
I pray this under your authority, grateful for you,
When the music fades and all is swept away And I simply come Longing just to bring something that’s of worth That will bless your heart
I’ll bring you more than a song For a song in itself is not what you require You look much deeper within Through the way things appear You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship And it’s all about you It’s all about you, Jesus I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it But it’s all about you It’s all about you Jesus
Dear God, as I sit in this chapel now and pray—ask the Holy Spirit to pray—for the burdens of my heart, this is the song that came to mind. So this is simply my prayer right now. I just want to worship you in this silence.
I will continue to pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your waysand my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
Dear God, this where I just have to lean into trust. There are aspects of my life I simply don’t like. Yes, 80% of my life is really as good as I could imagine it, but I have 20% that brings me great pain, worry, and hurt. I don’t understand why it is the way it is. I don’t understand if I’m supposed to be doing something different. I don’t know why. But when I sink into despair I remember the essence of these verses in Isaiah: You are doing things I can’t see or don’t understand, and you’re doing them for reasons I can’t possibly comprehend.
It made me think of a Twila Paris song from the 80s called “Do I Trust You.”
“Do I Trust You, Lord?” By Twila Paris
Sometimes my little heart can’t understand What’s in Your will, what’s in Your plan. So many times I’m tempted to ask You why, But I can never forget it for long. Lord, what You do could not be wrong. So I believe You, even when I must cry.
Do I trust You, Lord? Does the river flow? Do I trust You, Lord? Does the north wind blow? You can see my heart, You can read my mind, And You got to know That I would rather die Than to lose my faith In the One I love. Do I trust You, Lord? Do I trust You?
I know the answers, I’ve given them all. But suddenly now, I feel so small. Shaken down to the cavity in my soul. I know the doctrine and theology, But right now they don’t mean much to me. This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know.
Do I trust You, Lord? Does the robin sing? Do I trust You, Lord? Does it rain in spring? You can see my heart, You can read my mind, And You got to know That I would rather die Than to lose my faith In the One I love. Do I trust You, Lord? Do I trust You?
I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why. I will trust You, Lord, till the day I die. I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain! You were God before, and You’ll never change. I will trust You. I will trust You. I will trust You, Lord I will trust You
I will trust You. I will trust You. I will trust You I will trust You. I will trust You, Lord.
Father, I don’t know what I would do without my faith in you. I know some would call it a crutch. That’s an insult. You are more than that. Using you as a crutch means it’s still about me. It’s NOT about me. I don’t use you as a crutch. I simply throw myself upon you and trust that you are working for purposes higher than my purposes in ways I cannot see. And then I trust that. I trust you. And if I’ve wasted my life trusting you and none of this is true, then I still won’t regret a thing because trusting you and living life the way you created me to live it has brought me more peace than anything else ever could have. It’s brought me more joy. It’s brought me more love. All of the fruits of the Spirit. To quote another song but changing the meaning slightly, God, if loving you is wrong then I don’t want to be right.
I offer this prayer to you through the grace and power of Jesus,
Lord, the light of your love is shining In the midst of the darkness, shining Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us Set us free by the truth you now bring us Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine Fill this land with the Father’s glory Blaze, Spirit, blaze Set our hearts on fire Flow, river, flow Flood the nations with grace and mercy Send forth your word Lord, and let there be light
Lord, I come to your awesome presence From the shadows into your radiance By the blood I may enter your brightness Search me, try me, consume all my darkness Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine Fill this land with the Father’s glory Blaze, Spirit, blaze Set our hearts on fire Flow, river, flow Flood the nations with grace and mercy Send forth your word Lord, and let there be light
As we gaze on your kingly brightness So our faces display your likeness Ever changing from glory to glory Mirrored here may our lives tell your story Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine Fill this land with the Father’s glory Blaze, Spirit, blaze Set our hearts on fire Flow, river, flow Flood the nations with grace and mercy Send forth your word Lord, and let there be
Send forth your Send forth your word Lord, and let there Send forth your word Send forth your word Lord, and let there be light
Dear God, ever since seeing the Jesus Revolution movie yesterday, I’ve been thinking a lot about it. As I said last night in my prayer, I’ve had a lot of disparate thoughts.
What’s been on my heart a lot today is not only the youth in our community, but also the difference in the way some Christians see to help them. There is a very passionate group that wants to focus on every single thing the school is doing that might influence children. From curriculum, to counseling, to policies, etc. They (and I say “they” because I am not one of them) think this will protect our children. But I’ve thought a lot about this today. I cannot think of a single revival in our country that started with a movement of the government or other authorities. Never has it been legislated from the top down. Even thinking back into the Bible stories, it’s always suffering that brings us into repentance. It’s always suffering that brings us to you. The only example I can think of off of the top of my head that might be an exception is the preaching Jonah did in Nineveh. I don’t know what exactly the Ninevites were experiencing to make their hearts so ripe for your message through Jonah, but they were radical in their response.
Now, I look at our children and I keep thinking back to the movie yesterday when they talked about the hippies looking for you, but they were looking in all of the wrong places. From drugs, to promiscuity, to any other type of experimentation, they were looking for something to fill their “God hole.” The same is true for today. I think of what revival would look like if it were to work its way through our school, and it would put any agenda for controlling the library books, the counseling program, etc. to shame. Even students are smart enough to know when to reject something after they have found the truth. In fact, they are probably better at that than adults are.
That leads me to this song. It was the closing song in the church I attended this morning. The lead into the chorus that Graham Kendrick wrote starts with “Shine on me.” It starts with us as individuals. Then, to borrow Kurt Kaiser’s words from “Pass it On,” “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” So, Father, this is my prayer today: “Shine, Jesus, Shine. Fill this land with the Father’s glory. Blaze, Spirit, Blaze. Set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth your Word, Lord, and let there be light.” Let it start in my home. Let it be in my community. Let it be in my state. Let it be in my country. Let it be in my world. Let is start with what you’re doing in Asbury. Let this movie be your fuel. And let this be the start of something amazing. Let this pain of the pandemic over the last three years, the toxicity of social media, and the idolatry the church has adopted for government and power count. Let it bring us, bring me, to repentance. And then teach us discipleship so that your church might bring your will into the world from the bottom up.
I pray all of this through the name of Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith,
Rich Mullins performing “Doubly Good To You,” a song he wrote but was originally released by Amy Grant
“Doubly Good To You” by Rich Mullins
If you see the moon Rising gently on your fields If the wind blows softly on your face If the sunset lingers While cathedral bells peal And the moon has risen to her place
You can thank the Father For the things that he has done And thank him for the things he’s yet to do And if you find a love that’s tender If you find someone who’s true Then thank the Lord He’s been doubly good to you
And if you look in the mirror At the end of a hard day And you know in your heart you have not lied And if you gave love freely If you earned an honest wage And if you’ve got Jesus by your side
You can thank the Father For the things that he has done And thank him for the things he’s yet to do And if you find a love that’s tender If you find someone who’s true Thank the Lord He’s been doubly good to you
Dear God, this is just a great song. Nice and simple. a reminder to count our blessings. The end.
Ah, but then there is the rest of the story. Rich Mullins wrote this for his own wedding that never happened. He lost the “doubly good” about which he was singing. Of course, Rich never experienced having children. I can attest that there can be windows in life when your marriage and kids are all great at the same time, and it really feels like even a “triple” goodness. But then those windows pass and things don’t play out like you hope. How will I respond?
I spent some time last week while I was sick pouring over old pictures of my wife and kids. Those pictures always encourage me. They remind me that there was legitimate goodness at one time. That my mind hasn’t imagined it. No, the photos didn’t capture the pain between the smiles. There are holes in the story for which I don’t know the content. But it really does help me to lean into the pain of the current loss I feel from no longer having that sense of “triple goodness” and embrace the life you e given to me now.
So, Father, thank you for the things you have done and the things you’ve yet to do. Help me to be your complete servant today.
I pray all of this under your authority and in your name,
Emails to God 