There's something about Shawn McDonald's music that is untainted, untouched, unbiased. The connection with God that he sings about is so simple yet intense. It's desperate and raw. There's just something different about the place that his lyrics come from. As he sings, you get the sense that he is only aware of he and God being present. There's nothing overproduced about him or his words yet watching and listening to him reaches so deeply. Because of the indescribable passion in his voice, he is in my top five favorite singers.
"Gravity" Live: A Must Hear
"Beautiful"
Testimony
Another Interview: Amazing
I love the humility and hesitancy in producing words to his thoughts yet the songs are heavenly and complete. It's another show of God coming in and being able to take something not quite complete and use it to show His glory.
This song was so profound for me when it came out. I don't even have the right words to try and give you an idea of how much it propelled me forward in my walk with God. So, I had really anticipated the video coming out afterwards. I had never before prayed for a music video ha. I prayed though that the video would be up to par with the quality of the song lyrically. They nailed it.
I really don't have the words for the effect it had on me. I can honestly say that I think this is the best depiction ever of different things.
She is us. We are born with a passion for certain things in life. We are born into a plan specifically for us. God has given each of us gifts that He will use through us. More times than not, we encounter storms that seem to destroy us. Unfortunately, those storms are usually stirred up by those closest to us. It's when we are in our pit and most alone and feeling like we don't have any hope that God steps forward. Not because He is just now choosing to, but rather because He is just now able to. We come to a place where we welcome anything offering hope. We run for so long and so hard because we think submitting to God is us putting our heads on the guillotine. Or, sometimes we have hung in there as best we can never doubting. Maybe there comes a point where you begin to doubt. It is then He steps in and begins to give you a new perspection and a new hope. This video shows how I have come to find out how it REALLY is submitting to God.
It's a quiet trust we slowly give over. It's God lovingly and merely saying "I love you. I see you. Let me help you. It's time. You're ready." It's God taking our brokenness onto himself and slowly renewing us and our hearts. He begins to show us how we were being refined all along and given experiences that fuel the original passion. He creates in us someone much better than we could have come up with on our own. In the end, it's not going to matter what we did before knowing Him or what others did to us. In the end, it's about our song and if we played it. Did we let God take over and guide us... Will we be able to be taught and loved in order to let His glory shine through our song (life). He's so loving and wishful for you.
P.S. I chuckled at the character of God in this video and his white hair. It made me remember a verse in Revelations.
Revelations 1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame on fire;
"True intimacy with God always brings humility." - Beth Moore
I've seen throughout my life that this stands true. To be that close, you can't help but start to reflect the other. God is humility and patience and kindness. When I welcomed God's truth over my life as being defined only by Him, I was able to feel the release of this freedom into my life. I've gained a freedom to give without expectation and to choose to not carry the world's burden of what "I am", because repeatedly I have realized that true joy lies in knowing my God, my father and friend. When you can grasp this, a lifetime of baggage will fall off your shoulders. My hand in His, I want to continue this journey being His love reaching out. He is the only experience where giving over all my control gave me freedom. I am undeserving. God, I don't want to be useless. "My heart will sing no other name." When I was younger, I use to pray to be able to give it all up in order to be near you. I'm offering that back to you. It's where it belongs.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
You abiding in me has brought an experience that no other can compare to. I want more. "I'm running to your arms." I want to walk along side of you as your friend like Abraham. I desperately want to be known to have been after your very own heart like David. If people only say that I loved deeply and widely then I can't ask for anything greater. I want to be so close to you that your every movement in my life is in no need of me guessing. So close that your every movement is felt like a subtle shift in the wind guiding me of your every turn. I want to thrive in your presence. You tugging at my heart isn't harsh conviction. It means I'm within your reach, and I thank you for that. Countless times I have reached out for your hem, and I will continue to cling to it.
"O, the fullness, the pleasure, the sheer excitement of knowing God here on earth." - Jim Elliott
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God
Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few are chosen.
Hebrews 10: 35-36 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
"Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?" - Ian Wallace
I have a friend who sends me songs at times that just have to be a God purposed thing.
Tonight I was looking through old pictures of myself. I had the world at my fingertips back then. I just didn't see it. A shy girl with some brave dreams, I could've been unstoppable. As I was scanning my face over the years, I was feeling that nagging heartache of missed opportunities and roads that should've been taken.
I was repeatedly telling God that I AM grateful for renewing me. Maybe I was trying to talk myself into not feeling this heart pain. Maybe I was feeling some guilt for wanting more. I realized that I still hope to not just be new, but to have ME back. Not everything of our old selves was bad. I was thinking I want that girl back. I want that careless hope and gusto back. I want that innocent assurance back. I want that girl back that was running towards the ledge of giving it all away to serve.
Before I closed this picture file, I checked my email. This song was waiting for me. Thank you, my friend.
I'm so excited about her upcoming album and it's all because of this one song. If this is the momentum that we are going to hear, then get ready for personal breakthroughs all over the place.
I first heard of this group at the Rock and Road Worship Show 2012. I love them! They are natural, raw, and passionate. They're IRISH! You HAVE to love that! I hope they NEVER try to change their accent or their view on the music. Here are a couple of my favorite videos of them and some background. Homemade music by homemade people. Brilliant. Enjoy !!
This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The first time I heard it, I had these thoughts (below in italics) come to mind of how this song showed a bigger picture. It might be the artist's intentions or not. I don't know. I just know that what I sensed while listening to it......I couldn't write fast enough to keep up. I'll never forget the love I felt in it. I realized in that moment God's true desire to love and heal us, not condemn or punish us.
In summary, I see this song as symbolic of God sending down his son into this world to experience what we experience because we were failing so miserably on our own. Because of sin, He couldn't do for us what He wanted to do. Sin blocked our communication and relationship with Him. It's about Christ's death and His redeeming blood becoming our covering and how He waits for us to realize what he has done for us. He lovingly ministers to us even when we dont realize it. He will track through miles of snow to reach us where we are in our despair. In fact, he gave his life so that He could. He quietly knocks at our hearts door knowing that if He could only get to you, that he can fix everything...but it has to be us to open the door. The process of building a faith in God is a painful one in the beginning. There's scary submission, revealing shame that God already knows about, releasing to Him the things that torture us, and believing that He is who He says He is. We simply are called to be obedient and what a small sacrifice it is in comparison to His.
Judgement day is not here - not yet. He's not knocking at your door to condemn you. God loves you as His own because you ARE His. There's nothing that you've done or said or think that can change His love for you. What you beat yourself up over was forgotten at the cross on Calvary. It really was. Can you see that?
LYRICS
I called you up, you were in
bed,
(Awaken child, your spirit
slumbers)
could barely make out the words that you
said
(You’re soo far from me, lying in your
sin.)
But you wanted to see me
instead,
(Your cries I’ve always heard, a people
in want of show,
so I got
dressed
and so I sent my son.)
And I stepped out into the
snow,
(I, through my son, came to dwell among
you,
and walked for a mile or
so
(to know your struggles and temptations
for awhile)
Felt the rush of blood come from the
cold, within my chest
(Redemption’s blood burst from his heart
from all the sin.)
Well, you finally came to the
door,
(My heart races as you begin to seek me)
and we talked for an hour or
more
(You can reason with me and give me your burdens.
)
Until I asked if you would stay up
until four, and you said that’s fine
(Can you have a heart for me and my
desire for you? It’s but a small sacrifice. )
But you said “theres something I have
to say,
(But your fears overcome you)
and I cant because I am so
afraid
(Unworthiness overwhelmns
you.)
And so I held you as you started to
shake, that night
(Finally Giving me all that burdens you
in your darkest hour.)
Oh, my dear, I’ll wait for
you
(Oh my child, my prodigal
one.)
Grace tonight will pull us
through
( you will know my grace,
covering you to dawn’s light.)
Until the tears have left your
eyes
(In you, I am creating a new
thing.)
Until the fear can sleep at
night
(your cross of shame to lay down and
leave at rest)
Until the demons that you’re scared
of, Disappear inside
(Dark can not reside with
light. Trust me.)
Until the scale begins to
crack
(and then my healing of you
begins)
And this weight falls from your
back
(and your spirit lifted.)
Oh, my dear, I’ll keep you in my arms
tonight
(Oh my love, you’re safe in my arms,
keep your eyes on me)
You slowly lifted your head from your
hands
(Please,don't doubt me. I know how deep your wounds
go)
You said “I just don’t think
that you’ll understand
(and I know where you’ve carried
them)
You’ll never look at me that way
again
(I know you’ve met rejection around
every corner)
If you knew what I
did”
(Oh, but you don’t know what my love for you is
capable of..
The song talks about pain, shame, hate and anger as things that keep coming around to tempt us into diving back into them.
Pain: Not a sin in itself, but it most often times causes us to be insecure or hold resentment. It's difficult to let go of pain because it feels like we are saying that the offense is "ok". Forgiving is not saying the offense was right. Forgiving makes us free. Then, even though we can escape the bonds of sin through salvation's grace, the temptation to fall back into unforgiveness is always there. It never goes away from us. We are cleared from iniquities but we can still fall back into them. Insecurity keeps us from reaching our full potential.
Shame: not a sin, but a tool used against us. What do you feel with shame? Unworthiness, embarrassment...those two can keep us from doing what Hebrews 10:22 says we can do.
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
How does the feeling of unworthiness and embarrassment affect us spiritually? It keeps us from feeling like we can't have an intimate relationship with God. It keeps us feeling like we have to stay at a distance or that we are undeserving or won't "qualify" for grace. Shame is a tool used against us because satan knows what kind of authoritive transformation occurs in us when we confidently approach God without shame. "Safe in your arms": Familiarity is comforting even if we are miserable in it. We either don't know that there is life outside of shame or we are too hesitant to let it go. Shame tells us that no one will want us, that we are worthless, that the only safety is to not venture past ourselves. All lies....and it too always seems to want to loom over our heads reminding us, but we don't have to accept it. Realize that shame is not yours to keep as some scarlet letter. It's a tool against you. Get righteously mad at that.
Hate: I remember feeling so alive in my hate. It gave me purpose. It gave me motivation. I got to feel something that was beyond me. Heck, it let me feel something when I was numb to everything. I created it with meditation and music so that I could soak in it. It only destroys though and it starts with you. No matter how you think it is aimed at someone/something else or how it is deserved, it destroys you first. Most importanyly, look at what God's word says about it. He equates hating to murder.
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Anger: Again, I use to thrive on anger as soo many people do. It's easy to attain. It's always faithful to show up just in time. Again, it gave me purpose and feeling. I was addicted to how it fueled my hate. It's a piercing burning tool in our hands that will only be used against ourselves.
Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil
Some more supportive scripture
Romans 6:14 for sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Psalm 18:40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. [Again, our enemy is not of earth; therefore, not people. Our enemy is of the spiritual realm. It is satan. He hates us. He is the lier, the destroyer, and the wicked.THAT'S who we fight against. NOT each other.
Psalm 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Deuteronomy 3: 22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
James 4: 3, 7, 10 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
I could've put any video of his here because his passion is just amazing. I do have to say that he and his wife are a couple you should absolutely hear perform. It's nothing but heaven hearing them together. The show I went to was a private setting type gathering. At some point, it was like he was in a room by himself just worshipping. He could hardly stay in on his stool at some parts because he was that fired up. His voice fills a room and Addie has the most angelic voice to accompany his. What I really loved about the both of them is that they spoke alot of their faith and love for God in such a way that was nothing but a true desire in their hearts. They are amazing speakers. Please see them live if you ever get the chance. Their presence is the kind that draws people to the altar.
