A bit of songwriting

A rare endeavor

A few years ago, I wrote the start of a melody while playing ukulele in my bedroom. I wrote the beginnings of lyrics in a note on my phone, where I’d also typed the chord progression. I hummed a voice note for my future reference.

I’d written songs before. Silly little love songs, and half finished pieces of melodies and lyrics that popped into my head. But when I began working on song, I was longing to write a worship song that I could sing to the Lord. I even prayed that God would help me finish it.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I prayed that little prayer and the first verse of the song sat alone, waiting for me to finish it. I’d occasionally come back and try to figure out what to do with the words I’d already written, but I’d come up short.

Until one April, after Easter had come, I was reading the story of Thomas, asking to see Jesus’s nail-pierced hands as proof that he’d really been crucified and risen again.

The hands of Christ, pierced for our sins, inspired the rest of the lyrics. Like many of my poems the rest of the words flowed easily. I worked on it some more. Finally it was done.

A year later I very nervously approached the worship leader at my church, who let me sing it as a special on Good Friday. It blew me away to sing the song in congregational worship.

Some people have asked me about it since then, so my brother in law generously recorded the song for me. And another year later… I am forcing myself to be brave enough to share it.

This song has been a gift for me to worship with on my own. It has been a gift to share it with my church. I am hoping it will bless some of you who read my newsletter. So, here it is:

Maybe this is the last song I’ll ever write. I haven’t written one since. It doesn’t come naturally to me. But God blessed my efforts. I am glad I am able to use my gifts in even small ways.

Like Thomas, I’ve had my doubts in my walk of faith. This song to me is so personal because I can revisit how God used the story to minister to my heart. The song is an outpouring of that experience.

Thank you, Jesus.