Friends
Have you ever noticed how the lyrics of a song can touch you in a way that mere spoken words cannot? When a powerful message is conveyed through a beautiful melody, it’s like a sweet taste of honey on our lips.
+++
““Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.”
Matthew 14:29 – NLT
For nearly 12 years, I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of our Church’s Praise Team. This gifted group of vocalists and instrumentalists lead the music for our early Sunday morning worship service we call “The Well.” It’s a highlight of my week to gather on Thursday evenings and practice the songs for the following Sunday. Not only do we produce good music, but we have become a tight-knit group, supporting one another through life’s ups and downs. While our team has undergone many transitions ove the years, we have remained solid and soulful in our commitment to facilitating passionate worship.
Recently, our Praise Team has been blessed to welcome a new worship leader,an amazingly gifted and highly spiritual young man who joined our team last spring. Andrew has brought such energy and depth to our weekly offerings, lifting our music to new heights. One of the things I particularly enjoy about him is his willingness to delve deep into our music archives and find the right song to complement our pastoral message and scripture selection.
Two weeks ago, Andrew dug into the archives and selected a long-time favorite song of mine for our weekly playlist. The song, “Oceans: Where Feet May Fail” was made popular by the Australian band “hillsong” in 2013. I remember when I first heard those beautiful lyrics, their message touching a chord deep within my soul. It became one of those songs that I replayed in my mind over and over again. There was even a stretch when I made it a daily ritual to listen to that song as part of my morning workout. It was a way to get my mind focused in the right direction as I began a new day.
It’s been two weeks since we ran through the song at practice and then sang it with the congregation, and still the song is replaying steadily in my mind. Listen to the lyrics and you will see why.
“Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders,
Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger,
In the presence of my Savior.”*
Beautiful, huh? When you pair those words with a gorgeous melody, it’s just plain powerful! Trust without borders. Nothing to hold us back. Nothing to keep us apart. Nothing to block our path to our Sovereign Lord. Trust without borders. A deep, abiding trust that vanquishes fear. A sure and solid trust that clings tightly to the open hands of Jesus, and ushers in a peace that passes all understanding.
I recall a moment in my journey through blindness when I was so deep in the clutches of despair, when I was so broken by heartache, so overwhelmed by the obstacles ahead. It was what I call a God-moment, because in that desperate moment when I felt like I was drowning in a sea of sorrow, God led me to speak with a total stranger, a woman who knew nothing about me, yet paused and asked, “Are you OK?” When I shook my head, she invited me to sit and share my troubles. In the telling of my story, God met me in that room and brought a peace like I had never known before. Not only that, but I am quite sure that God placed words on that kind woman’s tongue, words that have replayed in my mind millions of times throughout the difficult years that followed.
I recall the moment so clearly. I had spilled my heart out to this woman, my whole story tumbling out. Through a trail of tears, I stammered, “ I just don’t know how I’m going to get through this.” I will never forget the words that came next. “You will get through this one day at a time, one wave at a time.”
I have never forgotten that powerful moment, and every time I hear the song “Oceans,” I am transported back there. It’s the reference to the waves, the walking upon the water, wherever God might call. All those years ago, that faithful intercessor was spurring me to find trust without borders, to go all in with the God who would see me through the storms, who would keep my eyes above the waves.
I would like to say that my trust became limitless, that my feet never faltered, that I walked upon the waves, never looking down, my eyes always on Jesus, but that would not be true. Still, I repeated those words to myself again and again, and I kept returning to the only hand that could keep me afloat.
Friends, The Lord has seen me through the storms, one day at a time, one wave at a time, and He can do that for you too. No matter what hard things you are facing, give them to God. Seek to trust without borders, and I believe that our God will allow us to find what we seek, that peace that passes all understanding.
Will you close in prayer with me, using the chorus from the powerful song “Oceans”?
“I will call upon Your Name, keep my eyes above the waves,
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace,
For I am yours, and You are mine.”*
In the Powerful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
*Lyrics from the song “Oceans: Where Feet May Fail,” by Hillsong, 2013.
For more of Anita’s story, check out “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness,” now available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle ebook.
-APS 2/5/2024
Faith Beyond Sight 