Reconciliation. It’s tough to do, much less spell correctly. In the past few months, the journey of reconciliation has been on my heart quite a bit. I’ve been surrounded by relationships that are on this arduous journey; some of these relationships are mine, and some I’ve just been an outside observer to: a friendship torn to shreds by an ill-timed word, a marriage on the brink of disaster from too many unheard and unmet expectations, a family bond severed from years of pent-up anger, a mother's dysfunctional choices that estrange her from her son and his wife. The list goes on and on, as does our brokenness.
We’ve all been on both the giving and the receiving end of words that wound. We’ve known the pain of betrayal, of being misunderstood or taken advantage of. And we’ve all made the mistake of saying something that we knew we shouldn’t have, and sometimes it takes years to get back what took only seconds to destroy. Reconciliation is difficult, but even through the pain of the journey, God’s purpose prevails. His beauty shines from our ashes. He redeems, restores, and makes all things new. The prodigal Father so beautifully models a patient heart. Waiting with grace and forgiveness, ready to embrace and heal.
I wrote this song from an outsider’s perspective, observing a relationship that was experiencing tension, and I was not even sure how best to pray for it. I was in the car by myself, driving to meet my daughter’s class on a field trip. I asked Jesus to help me pray, and to help me be an agent of reconciliation in whatever way possible. The tears and words began to flow simultaneously, and I couldn’t wait to park the car so I could hurry and sing the song into my phone, so as not to forget the new melody. I got home from the field trip and attempted, through tears, to play the song for Ben. We giggled at how awful I sound when I try to sing while crying. :) We recorded it a few weeks later with our dear friend and producer Jason Hoard, and released it at the Mac Powell and Friends concert on April 10th.
My prayer has always been that the Lord would use my songs well beyond the original experience or purpose for which they were written. And that prayer has already been answered with Wait for You; dear friends whose marriage has survived an affair have taken the song to marriage retreats they speak for, a friend who is estranged from her mother has found comfort in the song as it describes exactly how she feels in her relational struggle, and another friend has sent it to a family member in the hopes of someday reconciling. Thank you Jesus for bringing Your purpose from our pain. Thank you for showing us how to forgive, and for healing what we, in our sin, mess up. Help us to be agents of reconciliation, and show us where we need to forgive. To You alone be the glory.
Wait for You
My words have wounded you deeply, my actions burned a bridge
Here I am trying to say I’m sorry, I don’t know how to made amends
I wish I could turn back time, and un-say what I said
I wish I could just rewind to the time you called me friend
If peace flows like a river, and forgiveness is the shore
Then how I’d like to anchor there with you
And if time heals all wounds, then you take all you need
I will sit and pray and watch and wait for you
His beauty from our ashes, His purpose from our pain
His mercy, love, and goodness. His grace, greater than our sin
He holds the hands of time, and all things will restore
I know in Him we’ll find the bond we’re looking for
It’s not easy to wait, my tears are many
But I’ll hold on with faith through this journey
It’s not easy to wait, my tears are many
But I’ll hold on with faith through this journey
Until step by step by step He’ll see us through
I believe, I believe He’ll see us through, me and you