

For Lord’s Day, October 5, 2014
Dear Saints,
We rejoice to share with you that we brought Jennifer back to the hospital today to take her chemotherapy pump off as the last “installment” of six months of her initial treatment. My lovely wife has been so brave. We thank God that the treatment is healing her, and that He has proven to be faithful to His promise not to give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In fact, as always, God held us up through it all in His mighty hand. Jennifer will need more medical care. But a song by Moriah Peters, “You Carry Me”, playing on the radio just as we parked the caravan to run up and join Mommy in the waiting room was perfect timing to motivate me and the children as we enter this milestone transition with her. We had never heard the (upbeat, cheery) song before: providential, indeed. My youngest daughter (who it seems felt the poignancy of the lyrics overlapping the moment) said what I was thinking as the song lingered in our hearts while we took our toddler out of his car seat and shut the doors: “That was really encouraging.” Let me share the chorus with you:
Every moment of my life
God, You never left my side
Every valley, every storm
You were there, You were there
I don’t need to know what’s next
You’ll be with me every step
Through it all, through it all
I can see You carry me
Here’s the song’s video:
As we were relieved to make it through this first phase of Jennifer’s treatment together, and as we have learned through it all to trust God a little better now facing the next phase (which should be less trying and more manageable), Psalm 31:15 came to mind with the bolded section above:
My times are in thy hand …
There’s great peace in that resolve. I think that’s what my daughter was experiencing. You know, I couldn’t remember any of the words to the song when we got home, so I asked her if she recalled anything. I searched the only lyrics that came to her mind, and found the song online — what stayed with her (obviously reaching her) were the bolded words above. She’s nine years old. That really touches me. That really blesses me.
We found an interview with Mrs. Peters about the background of “You Carry Me”. Along with speaking about marrying her husband (lead singer of For King and Country) in San Clemente, CA (where some of you live), she shared:
I often forget that God is faithful, and that I’m not alone, and that leads me to feel discouraged or afraid. And I wanted the song … to be a reminder … that no matter what difficulty we’re facing, no matter how hard the storm or the situation, no matter how many questions we’re asking, no matter how many doubts we’re experiencing, that God never leaves … He carries us through those difficult times when we’re at the end of our rope, when we don’t have enough strength, He’s there to be that for us.
At the end of watching this interview, my daughter again said (as sprightly as before), “That’s really encouraging.” May you be encouraged, beloved, that Jesus truly will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). It is so empowering to be reminded as we go on with our lives, as shaky as they can be, that He yet promises to hold us securely in His hands. And so He surely does.
Here’s the interview:
Semper Reformanda,
Pastor Grant
PS: here is a live version of the song in Air1’s Studio:
Categories: Contentment | Faith | Fear and Worry | God's Sovereignty | Perseverance