Beautiful Things

I’ve been listening to Michael Gungor’s most recent album, Beautiful Things. Loving it! I find so much personal connection with the title track in particular. Here are the lyrics:

Beautiful Things
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new

During some of the difficult moments I’ve experienced in life (such as difficult job transitions or our infertility) I’ve found such beauty in worshipping through the pain. It’s like when you feel your arms are empty they’re totally free to reach up to the Heavens. There is a precious connection that takes place as you reach up and through the raw emotion to reach out to our Heavenly Father. 

I’ve had so many of those moments over the past few years. One in particular that I remember vividly was at a ladies Cadre retreat at Jeanne Mayo’s house. We were in her living room for a particularly powerful and intimate service. At the end they played Restoration by David Brymer and we began worshipping. Right there in Jeanne’s living room I had one of the most powerful worship experiences of my life. Thankfully the music was loud, because I must have sounded like a blubbering idiot, half sobbing and half singing at the top of my lungs. That weekend had been especially healing for me in the area of being childless. I had been able to share the pain with others for the first time and had received so much encouragement. So there in that moment during our final service together I let it all go. It was tremendously painful and beautiful all at the same time. It’s these moments of complete release and honesty in worship that I treasure so much.

Restoration

You bring restoration
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
To my soul

You've taken my pain
Called me by a new name
You've taken my shame
And in its place, You give me joy

You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take weeping and turn it into laughing
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You make all things new, all things new

I hope these songs encourage you. Wherever you are in life and whatever you are dealing with, remember that He sees you. When your arms feel empty just lift them up to Him.