Music Sometimes Moves Me

Several weeks ago I was introduced to a song that moved me.

It was playing in the background on a friend's blog.

I listening to the song and then played it over and over. Pretty soon, even the kids were singing the familiar chorus (to my heart's delight, of course!).

I couldn't find a video to post on here to talk about it, so I used Facebook instead. I found the artist's page and then did some comment thing where it would like the song to the post. Through that posting, another friend told me the artist would be in concert in the DFW area in a few weeks.

I got tickets and planned a date night.

I only knew one song by the artist. This song that moved me.

About two weeks after discovering the song, I had the privilege of sharing at GFA's Tuesday night prayer. I was asked to share about the plight of women/widows in Asia.

I've talked a little about it here on the blog (post #1, post #2), sharing some of the things I shared that night.

While I prepared for sharing, I listening to this song. I realized that the very things God was stirring in my heart seemed to be echoed in this song. How had I missed it all the times I had listened to it already?!

As I wrapped up my notes for the evening, I printed the lyrics to the song.

But, then I never shared them because I just wasn't sure how it fit.

I've listened to the song several times since then. It always stirs my heart.

Tonight, I heard the artist explain how her heart has been challenged and changed in the past five years. She told a story about a ministry she partners with, International Justice Mission. They are a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.

According to the artist, she wanted to know how she could be more involved. "Her answers came in a series of global conversations and experiences, from the flood-ravaged gulf of Louisiana, to the genocide memorials of Rwanda, to the testimonies of Southeast Asia sex trade survivors. These experiences showed the disparity between some of the American pursuits of comfort and wealth and the joy of joining the difficult work of social justice and engaging in the suffering of the afflicted." (*taken from her website)

She wrote quite a few songs based on her experiences. The song that moved me is one of them. It now makes complete sense to me why the song spoke so clearly to me as I was preparing to share about the plight of women in Asia.

Tonight was another little affirmation that the Lord is, indeed, stirring my heart for the women of Asia in a more significant way.

I enjoyed the Sara Groves concert. It was a good date with my wonderful husband.

Here are the lyrics to the song. I wish I could insert a cool video with this beautiful song, but there are only lame videos on the web and I don't know how to insert music on my blog. So, search for the song, use Grooveshark to hear it for free, or just close your eyes when you find one of the videos.

lord i have a heavy burden of all i've seen and know
it's more than i can handle
but your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and i can’t let it go

and when i'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

i think of paul and silas in the prison yard
i hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

and when the Saints go marching in
i want to be one of them

lord it's all that i can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but when i think of all who've gone before and lived a faithful life
their courage compels me

and when i'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

i think of paul and silas in the prison yard
i hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
i see the shepherd moses in the pharaohs court
i hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

chorus x2

i see the long quiet walk along the underground railroad
i see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
i see the young missionary and the angry spear
i see his family returning with no trace of fear
i see the long hard shadows of calcutta nights
i see the sister standing by the dying man’s side
i see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
i see the man with a passion come kicking down that door

i see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road
i see the world on his shoulders and my easy load (*also taken from the artist's website)

*www.saragroves.com