Awakening

I have always struggled to convey my faith to other people. After all these years, I am no better at it than when I started. I am not sure why.

The lyrics below, written and put to song by a very talented young woman from the Midwest, express in large part what I have wanted to tell my friends.

I will let these words speak for me. Often, when I shut up, things work out for the best.

Dress down your pretty faith. Give me something real.
Leave out the thees and thous and speak to me now.
Speak to my fear and confusion.
Speak through my pain and my pride.
Speak to the part of me that knows I'm something deep down inside.

I know that I am not perfect, but compare me to most,
In a world of hurt and a world of anger I think I'm holding my own.
And I know that you said there is more to life.
And I know I am not satisfied.
But there are mornings I wake up just thankful to be alive.

I've known now, for quite a while, that I am not whole.
I've remembered the body and the mind,
But I dissected my soul.
Now something inside is awakening,
Like a dream I once had and forgot.
And it's something I'm scared of
And something I don't want to stop.

So I woke up this morning and realized that Jesus is not a portrait.
Or stained glass windows or hymns or the tradition that surrounds us.
And I thought it would be hard to believe in
But it's not hard at all.
To believe I've sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
Oh the glory of God....

And He's not asking me to change in my joy for martyrdom
He's asking to take my place.
To stand in the gap that I have formed
With His real amazing grace.
And it's not just a sign or a sacrament.
It's not just a metaphor for love.
His blood is real and it's not just a symbol of all of our faith.

So leave out the thees and thous... and speak now.

From the song "Awakening", by Sara Groves