Coffee Hour: Sing A New Song!

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Have you ever been listening to a new worship song and the words and musicality of it just reached out and embraced you, took you in to a place you rarely go? A place where there is no one but you and Jesus and you are singing the words of the song with every ounce of your being because that’s where you are in life? The message in that song renders you in tears, and your heart and soul are entwined with your Creator. Oh, what a feeling, to bask in His presence, to feel as if you could go wherever He may call you.

I heard such a song about a month ago now, and every time I hear it come on the radio; I stop, I mean I emotionally slow down, and often I stop physically whatever it is I am doing so I can meditate on the words, words that are so powerfully relevant in my life, but also in the lives of friends and church family all around me. Tragedy is striking at a pace so swift that it is hard not to get caught up in waves of panic and oppression, tragedies that threaten to suck us in to the rip tide of negativity.
For me, music is a great escape, a way for my heart to stay soft and to communicate with my Father, a way to pour my heart out while pressing in to the only place that brings me perspective and peace: His presence.

For Valentine’s Day, I told my husband that all I wanted was some new worship music, especially a new worship CD with that song by Hillsong United, Oceans. I didn’t know it wasn’t “out” yet on a CD. He didn’t either until he went to the Christian bookstore and told them that’s what he wanted. They told him it’s not on a CD yet; it’s just a single but they’ve recorded several versions of it. The cool thing is that person offered to burn a copy of all the versions to a CD! And that was my Valentine’s Day gift. I’ll always cherish the joy with which he handed me that gift, as well as two other worship CDs and a book by my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury. It was such sweet thoughtfulness that will always squeeze my heart when I take the time to reflect upon it.

Little did I know how much I would need to press in the very next day, and
again and again; I’m getting hit hard. So I pressed in, and I listened to that song, sang it from my gut, the waves of trials of ours as well as those being endured by friends evident in every note I sang. At first, I was groaning from the pain of it all, but if you’ve ever heard this song, you can’t stay that way for long, because the chorus repeats itself, over and over again, and soon, I was confidently calling out His name, declaring that I would keep my eyes above the waves of trials, this new trial, and the one that came after that; that I will allow "His Spirit to lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever He may call me; that He could take my feet deeper than I could ever wander but my faith would be                  Oceans
made stronger in the presence of my Savior."

Just three days later, He really did call me out into more deep waters, waters of forgiveness for someone who had broken my gift of trust, and it was so unexpected. With ever-so-wobbly legs, I rise, but just to a crawl for the pain is that bad. But as the words of this song begin to penetrate my heart, I stand just a bit taller, ready to hold His hand that He may hold me up with my wobbly legs and enter those waters filled with uncertainty for me, uncertainty because I don’t know how to love that person as though I’ve never been hurt. Oh, I forgive but how do I love without hurting.

My heart sings these words that I may live these words:

"You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown; my feet may fail. And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep my faith will stand. And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace for I am Yours; You are mine."

And my soul is reminded I am not alone:

"Your grace abounds in deepest waters. Your sovereign hand will be my guide. My feet may fail when fear surrounds me; you’ve never failed and you won’t stop now. So I will call upon your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace for I am Yours, and You are mine." [Oh, Abba, I am yours. Thank You that You never leave me; You’re always there to love me through my hurt.]

And the cry of my heart becomes:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders; let me walk upon the waters wherever you may call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.

And again:

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders; let me walk upon the waters wherever you may call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior."

And again, and again, until I can see me walking on the water, my focus only on the One who will get me through it all.

You can’t stay in the same place when you are pressing in, and oh, what a better place it is when you come out! May I encourage you to press in . . . You can start now by clicking on this link, go where your feet have not wandered, and press in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw&feature=kp

Walking on the waters of life with Him,
Evinda