Lost In All You Are

Jay McKenney, our worship minister at Sunset Church, is urging people at Sunset to offer songs they have composed, to use in our services. I am aware of a number of people in my circle, who compose in private. If you have a song you have written, or would enjoy sitting down to write, I would LOVE to hear what's been going on in your head, in a way that God, I and others get to benefit from.

I have decided to participate in this, but in a little different way. For perhaps over half of my lifetime, my health conditions have not allowed me to bring to completion the music I compose. The in the moment songs or music pieces I create, are completed constantly. But these music pieces are fleeting, coming into my mind, sung out or played on our electric piano, then disappear. However, the pieces I work on long term, I continually end up without the ability to bring to completion. Composing comes easily for me, but my disabilities have for years gotten in the way of my bringing my stuff to completion. That might not make sense to you, but keep in mind that for years brushing my teeth, reading a book or sending an email, have been tremendously difficult for me, because of disabilities. So, I have decided to participate, in a different way.

I deeply desire for others to share with me, in worshiping God, through the music I create. So, below are the lyrics to a song I just finished the lyrics to. The instrumental back round has been moving forward. The melody for the words is pretty much completed, but has some bubbles to work out. The song is called "Lost In All You Are."

This song focuses on how God is SO MUCH MORE than everything else combined. How even if everything was lost, those who know the Lord would still have unfathomably more, in God.

Lost In All You Are

***

(lead vocal... not decided if man or woman)

When You rise

The mountains bow their summits to the ground

When You stand

Mighty forests of old drop like splinters to the earth

***

At the glory of

At the glory of the Lord

***

When You shine

The stars fall from the skies

To the depths of the ocean floors

When You breathe

The oceans raise their foaming peaks to praise You

***

At the glory of

At the glory of the Lord

***

Every glacier plummeting into the sea

Each imploding star

All mankind that is, that have been born and that have yet to be

Every choir of angels, crying out the anthem of Your love

The whole of all the universe

All that is, and was, and that has yet to be

***

Everything fades into less than nothing

As it stands before all You are

***

And when everything is gone

All that's lost fades into less than nothing

As it stands before all You are

When all is lost

I'm lost in all You are

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost in You

When all is lost

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost in all You are

***

(mens' choir joins in singing with lead vocal, when last verse is repeated second time)

***

(after second repetition of last verse, lead vocal stops singing and childrens' choir joins with verse below... mens' choir continues repeating the verse they were singing)

(childrens' choir)

Great leaders bend their knees

Angels tremble as they worship You

Demons skater to the farthest reaches of the shadows

At the whisper of Your name

***

Childrens' lips sing out Your praises

Distant island nations glorify Your name

All creation bows before You

***

At the glory of

At the glory of the Lord

***

(after childrens' choir completes first repetition of their verse, womens' choir joins in with a new verse as mens' choir and childrens' choir continue to repeat their parts)

(womens' choir)

Lost in wonder of You

In breathless worship I bow my life before You

In giddy joy, in bliss, in thrill

I know the laughter of the deep

***

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost

In all You are

And everything You are

Is life

***

(All parts repeat again as lead vocal joins in the song again vocalizing. During this same repetition, after the lead vocal joins in, all instruments become suddenly silent. All parts continue to be sung a cappella during instrumental silence. When that repetition completes, instruments come back in meeting the crescendo. All parts repeat, breaking off at different points, to join in singing round the verse below.)

And when everything is gone

All that's lost fades into less than nothing

As it stands before all You are

When all is lost

I'm lost in all You are

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost in You

When all is lost

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost in all You are

And everything You are

Is life

***

(After all parts sing this round twice, each part stops singing after their second repetition of this verse ends. Just as lead vocal is about to become the last one to finish singing their part, all instruments suddenly cease, except for a low rumble. Lead vocal sings softly, voice filled with awe, what is written below.)

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost in all you are

(low rumble fades and lead vocal completes singing, in a soft voice filled with awe, what is written below)

And everything You are

Is Life

Here I Am!

Lord, it is HARD for me to surrender absolutely everything to You! So often, I feel like I've already lost so much, I don't want to loose any more. So often I feel like I've been crushed so much, I just can't... take... any... more!

Remind me constantly of what You did for me at the cross! You have been reminding me, that before You went through all You did at the cross, You, Jesus, asked Your Father to take this cup from You. In other words, You were asking Your Father to not have You go through the horrors of the cross.

You, Jesus, are fully God. I know that You Jesus, the Father and Holy Spirit, are all part of one God. Yet, even though You, Jesus are fully God, and had complete ability to not go to the cross if You chose not to, You told Your Father that You wanted HIS will.

Jesus, You submitted to Your Father's will because You love Him! You also submitted to Your Father's will because You love us! What You went through on the cross for us, brought us peace, hope, joy, comfort, relief, healing.

Help me to follow Your example, of surrendering to You, out of my love for You, and my love for others. I know that out of my tough circumstances, You will bring good out of it, for You, me, and for others. You made the UNIVERSE out of nothing. So, You have the power to make good works out of what I have lost, and what is no more. You brought so MUCH good, out of the agony You took on at the cross. So, You have the power to use how I am broken, to bring good out of it for You, me and others. You even have the power to use my sin, as well as how I suffer from wrong choices, so that people can come to know You.

For possibly over half a year now, I have often been at a place where I may be literally incapable of surrendering everything to You. During this time, You have been teaching me about the impossible surrender. When it is impossible for me to surrender to You in some way, ALL things are possible for You. When I get to that place, of being unable to surrender something to You, all I have to do is say yes, and You will meet me there and make it possible for me.

So, Jesus, in mirroring how You cried out to Your Father before You went to the cross, Lord, please, deliver me from my needs. But if it is Your will for me to be in this place, then even if I am not capable of surrendering absolutely everything to You right now, I simply say yes, and know that You will meet me here and You will make me able to surrender to You right now. So I say yes. Here I am!

Lord, You died for us. I wrote in a poem, that I posted on my blog: "Love died for those who hated Him. Love died for those who killed Him on the cross." Help me to love the world as You love the world.

Out of my love for You and people, if it is best for You and others, then deliver me from my need. But, out of my love for You and people, let me stay in this place of need, if it is best for You and others. Lord, if it is best for You and others, for me to be more broken than this, then out of my love for You and people, may I be even more crushed than this.

If it is best for me to suffer, then through my suffering, may others be comforted. Through my brokenness, may people be made whole. May I be crushed, so that they would be healed. May I have loss, so they would find hope. May I know pain, so they would find relief, so they would find truth, so they would be restored, so they would come to know You.

I love You more than all things. So, may Your will be done in all things. If it is Your will for me to know struggle, then in all Your love, and You are love, poor out Your good works for the sake of You, for the sake of me, and for the sake of others. Out of my love for You and people, I ask You, in all Your power You have as GOD, carry out Your good works, and don't... hold back... in anything!

Some Things Were Born to Die, That there Might be LIFE!

Lord, You have been showing me this year, that some things were born to die, so that there might be life. Weather it is a person who dies, a dream that dies, a friendship, a marriage, a financial situation, someone's state of health, or a longing that can't be fulfilled, it is all meant to draw us deeper into life. And You ARE life. When things die, You use death, to draw us closer to YOU.

As Easter has been approaching, You have been crystallizing in my mind, that You are the perfect example of this! You, the God who has always existed, came to Earth, to be born as one of us, though You were still fully God. You were born to die... so that we would have LIFE. And You are life! You died to draw us closer to You... to draw us closer to LIFE!

So much has died in my life. You have been using the desperation this has produced, for me to seek to know who You are more, Your character, Your attributes. The more I am discovering and being reminded of about You, the more I am discovering how deep, how endlessly wide, how awesome this LIFE is that is YOU.

Though You have been teaching and reminding me about You, it has been such a struggle for me to feel life, even though You have been showing me HOW MUCH this life is that You are. Lately, You have been really deepening my ability to feel life, but that feeling of life flees from me so easily, still. Ingrain in me, down to every last fiber of my being, the knowledge of who You are, how I should respond to that with my heart, mind, body, sole and the way I live... and the ability to FEEL all the LIFE THAT YOU ARE.

Because of who You are, You are hope, You are love, You are peace! Because of who You are, I have freedom, victory, a joy that's bigger than I am, because You are so much bigger than I am!

When You died on the cross, You didn't just die to bring us life, You rose from the dead! You conquered death! You have complete power over death, to either prevent it, or allow it to draw us closer to You who is life.

When the rays of dawn broke the sky, that first Easter morning, death itself was broken. You are forever Author of Salvation! You conquered the grave, to save me from death. You died to draw me closer to You... and everything You are... is... LIFE!

So, this Easter, remind me that some things were born to die, that there might... be... LIFE! And You are LIFE! So, draw me closer! I come near! Draw me closer to LIFE!

Just When it Seems I'm Helpless, the All-Power is on MY Side

Lord, I have been struggling lately with the feeling of helplessness. So many things are out of my control! I've been watching my life falling apart, and I don't have the power to better my circumstances. I'm watching my family suffer, and I don't have the ability to meet their needs. I've been watching many I care about, outside my family, hurting. I pray for these people and try to do what I can, but there is so much I can't fix. I am so small, and the needs are so big.

Lord, keep reminding me, that just when it seems I'm helpless, You, the All-Power, are on my side. You've been working on ingraining it in me. But, I'm so human. It's so hard for me to remember and grasp, how big You are.

Yet, I know, that the angels are beneath Your feet. I know, that the whole of all the demons, are beneath Your feet. All the great rulers, of every nation, are beneath You.

Who could fight You and win? Who could stand against You, and overcome You? Every army of angels, demons and mankind combined, could not stand against You and overtake You.

What forces of nature could You not overpower? All is beneath You, and You are above all.

Remind me, that just when it seems I'm helpless, the All-Power is on my side. Remind me, that when I am faced with spiritual warfare, people standing against me or the struggles of all sorts of suffering, Your hand is on my head, in the day of battle.

When I cry out to You, You hear me. When I cry out to You, You listen to me. When I cry out to You, You ANSWER me. And You will always answer in the ways that are BEST, in all Your complete wisdom, knowledge and ability to see into the past, present and future. When You answer me, You will always answer me with all Your love, that is the unfathomable measure of love that You as GOD have for me, for those in my life, and for the world. You will always answer, in all Your power that You have as GOD, in the ways that You see best.

Remind me, that just when it seems I'm helpless, the All-Power is on MY side. The All-Power is on MY side.