I woke up with a song in my head this morning. I love this song. It's a new song, popular on the Christian radio stations. I will turn up the radio in my car when this song comes on. I sing it at the top of my lungs (remember God likes a joyful noise, not necessarily a beautiful one). I had a bunch of colleagues in my car last week when this song came on - I was probably the only one who even knew the radio was on. I turned it up - not as loud as I usually do, but loud enough. (OK, out of respect for myself and my colleagues, I did not sing it at the top of my lungs this time).
Anyway, there are a couple of lines in this song that get me every time. The author (and maybe singer) of this song probably didn't have my thought process in mind when they wrote this song, but the more I think about it, hear it, sing it, I can't help but think this song just works - for any place, any people.
The song is City on Our Knees by Toby Mac. It will be on his new cd being released in 2010. If I hadn't looked up the lyrics on my work laptop, I would already have the song downloaded and on my MP3 player. But that is a whole other story!
I got the lyrics from one of the lyrics websites -
"If you gotta start somewhere why not here
If you gotta start somewhere why not now
If we gotta start somewhere I say here
If we gotta start somewhere I say now
Throught the fog there is hope in the distance
From Cathedrals to third world missions
Love will fall to the earth lie a crashing wave
Tonight's the night
For the sinners and the saints
Two worlds collide
In a beautiful display
Its all love tonight
.We can sail across the sea
To a City with one Kine
A city on our knees
A city on our knees
Tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
Tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
As family
We're family
Oh, tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
You and me,
Ya, you and me"
Okay, so I realize the song is probably about seizing the moment - here and now - to tell the people around us about Jesus. NOT a bad thing. The part that keeps going through my head is the part that says "To a City with one King, a city on our knees, a city on our knees." And I think the reason why this hits me so hard is this one question:
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I GOT ON MY KNEES FOR ANYTHING???
When was the last time I showed glory and honor to my Father by submitting to him on my knees? And lets take it a little further - how often do I read of David laying prostrate before the Lord? When was the last time I laid prostrate before my father?
What if, say, I determined that the people in my life - both here in my state, in other states, or even other countries - were important enough to me to get down on my knees to pray for them, for their salvation, for their freedom, for them to KNOW God the way I know Him? What if I started looking at the world around me - starting right here in my little town - and saw what God sees? What would I do differently?
There is a huge part of my heart in Haiti. Roundabout Geek and I do think that at some point, God will call us to leave the comfort of our little town and give it all up for him and go to Haiti to serve him there. Roundabout Geek had been to Haiti twice before me. I used to fear he would come back and say to me, "Engr2mom, I have great news! We're moving to Haiti! Isn't that fantastic!" Um, no, not exactly.
Well, that was then and this is now. And that's not really the point...the point is that my here and now, in my heart, isn't limited to the everyday people I see and meet here in our little town. In my heart there is a whole country, not all that far from here (you know, relatively speaking), that needs to KNOW God just as much as the people in my little town do. I can't be there, but HIS Home is. And they are making a difference, one child at a time. They already have a waiting list for older children who are waiting for a bed to sleep in, for food in the bellies, and clean clothes on their back. They already have two houses full of kids that are coming to know the Lord through the love and teaching they provide to them. And Lord only knows, if we - adoptive parents, supporters, friends, strangers even - hit our knees for HIS Home, what He would do in that tiny country. Why, the possibilities would be absolutely endless! Remember, my God cannot fit in a box created by human limitations.
So, why not make today the day? The day you hit your knees and pour your heart out to God. Maybe your prayers will be for your next door neighbor. Maybe you're a teacher and the prayers will be for your class. Maybe it's for your husband or wife, mom or dad, even your own children. Maybe, like me, your heart is also in a country half way around the world, or in another state. Maybe your prayers will be for yourself. Maybe it is you who needs to cross the line and sail across the sea. Why not here? Why not now?
What could God do with your prayers, your hopes, your dreams, your desires, if only you hit your knees and cried out to him?
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