Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Smoothing out the edges


We all have non-verbal signs we give off when we're having a rough day. A furrowed brow. Swollen eyes. Absentmindedness. Impatience.

I've been known to show all these things from time to time. But for me, my biggest non-verbal cue can be found in the music I'm listening to. If its gone a little melancholy, thats the warning flag. And if I dust off my Nichole Nordeman CD, then you know I'm really fighting a battle.

Well, this last week, I took five of the Nichole Nordeman CDs from the Spirit 105.3 archives. Just took 'em. As in "these are mine now." Nichole Nordeman lyrics are like my armor when I'm taking on some tough things. Her music goes so deep into my soul that I feel like all thats left are tears and Jesus.

Lately, this one song has been getting me through my days. If you haven't heard it before, you owe it to yourself to pick up her album. Or every album she ever made. Or, better yet, FIND HER (I think she lives in Texas) and BEG her to make more music. Its been years since I've heard new music from her, and I think she took a little time off just to be with her family. But in my secret dreams, she has a little studio in her house with just a piano and she writes music that we will someday hear again. :-)

River God

Rolling River God
Little stones are smooth
Only once the water passes through
So I am a stone
rough and grainy still
Trying to reconcile this river's chill

But when I close my eyes
and feel you rushing by
I know that time brings change
and change takes time

And when the sunset comes
my prayer would be this one
that you might pick me up
and notice that I am
just a little smoother in your hand

Sometimes raging wild
sometimes swollen high
never have I known this river dry

The deepest part of you
is where I want to stay
and feel the sharpest edges wash away

And when I close my eyes
and feel you rushing by
I know that time brings change
and change takes time

And when the sunset comes
my prayer would be just this one
that you might pick me up
and notice that I am
just a little smoother in your hand