Amazing God

You dance over me
While I am unaware
You sing all around
But I never hear a sound.

Lord, I'm amazed by You!
Lord, I'm amazed by You!
Lord, I'm amazed by You, how You love me!

How wide, how deep, how great is Your love for me!

~ Amazed by Jared Anderson

Often times I'll sit down with my guitar with no particular song in mind to play.  Inevitably, this song is usually the first one to come off the strings.  From a songwriters viewpoint it is a very simple song.  It's also a very simple song to play (which is probably why I play it so often ... I don't play as well as folks think I do).  However, looking at it through the eyes of a Believer ... the same eyes that have seen friends and loved ones struggle ... the same eyes that look at what's going on in the world and shutter in disbelief ... the same eyes that have cried more tears than one can count ... when you look at the song through those eyes, you can see the wonder and power and majesty of God and the breadth of His love for us, which can all overshadow whatever pain you're dealing with or whatever struggle you're going through.

Wow ... pretty amazing isn't it?  I could stop right here.  I've given most people enough to digest with that.  I've given most a brief glimpse at the Lord, and how much He loves us.  Unfortunately ... at least for me ... it's just not that cut and dry.  My struggles don't vanish simply from singing a song, or reading lyrics.  My pain doesn't subside because of a melody, or verses that rhyme.  Like you, or maybe most of you, my pain is a little deeper than that.  My struggles are a little more 'long term' than a 4 minute worship song.

Pain like that requires patience.  I've had to learn to be patient with myself, but more so, patient with God.  There have been times where I've sat and played that song time after time after time, singing the lyrics with everything I have in me, only to find myself, when I'm done, in the same place I was when I started.  It's not the songs fault ... heck, it's one of the best songs ever composed as far as I'm concerned.  It's not God's fault ... His timing is perfect.  There's no fault to be found.  Some things just take time.

I'm learning to accept that.  I'm very impatient by nature, but I'm gradually and painfully learning to accept that some things take time.  I'm also learning that God's timing is perfect.  He knows the whole plan ... I barely know the next step.  A friend of a friend underwent a heart transplant a few days ago.  Her body rejected the new heart.  Her friend is now laying in a hospital bed, chest opened up because of numerous issues, waiting for another heart to be flown in ... hoping it will get there in time.  I won't even pretend to know what she and her family are going through.  How do you tell them to be patient?  How do you rationalize with them about God's perfect timing as blood is literally 'leaking' from there mother's eyes?  I don't know.

Here's what I do know ... God is holding Cheryl in His hand.  God is holding me in His hand.  He's holding you in His hand.  He has big hands ... big enough for whatever you can throw at Him.  Here is what I've learned ... regardless of what I've gone through or the outcome, I'm still able to look towards Heaven and tell God that "I'm amazed by you".  Why?  Because ... over time ... He has shown me time and again how much He loves me.  He loves you too.  If you haven't given Him a chance, why don't you start today?  God bless you.