Monday, January 31, 2011

January's song of the month

Well, here we are, under the gun, with only hours left to spare with this months song. Let it be noted that I made it. However, you may cry foul here soon enough.

I’ve been writing songs for many years. In fact, since I was about 17 (23 years!) when I wrote the classic “Love them Lord like you love me” - Oh boy. I was 17. And it was sweet. And awful. I have a lot of original songs. Some I like, some, not so much. Some were for a specific place or time. The problem has been knowing what to do with them. I’m not a professional musician although music is a part of what I do. I don’t tour or make records (but we just might coming up here pretty soon). That is a little bit of the inspiration for posting the song of the month here. To at least make these things I’ve created available.

If I had a “greatest hit” among the few people that have heard this music, it would be this month’s song. In fact, I am posting this song at this late hour for one specific person (Hi James!) who requested a downloadable version.

I wrote this song before I moved to Modesto. We were visiting here but still working with YWAM in Kitchener, Ontario in Canada. I started it while driving now familiar roads and noticing how many orchards were missing from previous visits to clear the way for new housing developments.

Little did I know the effect the quick money developments would have here in the wake of the housing boom that is now the housing fallout. So many have lost their homes and so many more will never have a chance to own one. This kind of hardship definitely trickles down to the poor. The state cuts funding, the donors give less, organizations and ministries hurt and offer fewer and fewer services.

Good thing our hope isn’t in money.

I didn’t know any of this stuff then. It was just a thought I had while driving through some devastated orchards and wondering if it wasn’t just a bit short-sighted to pave and build over some of the country’s most fertile soil for big, fast, house money. Which got me to thinking about how I neglect the most important relationship in my life for futile, empty pursuits.

This song is a repentance. And it’s probably good that my friends keep wanting me to sing this song as it’s the easiest thing to slip into.

In the distraction of culture and information, help us remember you, the one, true, magnificent God. Amen.




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2 comments:

Your Friend Aaron said...

Sounds like a new recording. Sounds good.

Definitely a classic. Nice melody, perfect lyrics.

Sustar said...

Yes.
You often lead the way for me to find Him in all of it.
You point the way to reset my compass, and discover joy and hope again.
Thank you.
Beautiful.