Author: Dan

Driving to nowhere into the deep night.
Denying the confession of helplessness.
Carrying a burden and heavy load
Of years of sin and selfishness.

Inevitably, I broke down.
I was defeated down to the core.
Like a lost and broken ship
At sea that at last ran ashore.

I cried out with a surrender,
‘Won’t someone help me?’
At first there was only silence,
But then I felt a fresh breeze.

Arising out of the moonless dark,
Light emerged from the distance.
The beams were moving towards me
With a purposeful insistence.

A truck with a cross-shaped tow
Rolled to a stop to my right.
A man from the window said,
“I heard you calling in the night.”

How can that be possible?
No one was around to hear.
“I’ve been waiting for this call
All your days and years.”

“Now that you’re in this place
And have called out to Me,
I’m here to take your burden.
There is no charge – it’s free.”

I don’t understand this offer.
Why would you be so kind?
“This is the business I’m in
Unburdening the heart and mind.”

“You only have one thing to do
Should you choose to receive.
If you want your load to be lifted
You must confess belief in Me.”

I looked at the sign on the truck,
‘Welcome to Salvation Tow.
Forgiveness is the power to lift
And reveal a God you can know.’

I thanked the man and accepted
His free offer I so desperately need.
What a deal of trading my burdens
For a life of forgiven belief!

Suddenly the sun arose.
The night surrendering to the day.
I joined the Driver in the truck.
Forever going His way.

If Jesus saw your portrait
What would He see?
A face masking the pain
Or one of liberty?

Who are you fooling with
The mask you’re wearing?
Don’t you know He can see
The burdens you’re carrying?

There’s no point hiding
Every secret and sin.
He knows about them all
Why not let Him in?

He understands the shame
That’s weighing you down.
He’s sympathetic to the guilt
That ties you to the ground.

Forgiveness is the power
To take off your mask.
It’s there for the taking
You only need to ask.

Jesus reveals the lies
And always speaks the truth.
He went to the cross to show
How He feels about you.

He’ll never leave your side.
He loves with mercy and grace.
He’ll unveil the beauty
Of your maskless face.

I was awake one early morning
With a heaviness on my mind.
The value of my daily work
I was struggling to find.

These gifts given to me
Are granted for a purpose.
Not just to make money
But to be put into service.

To the One who gave me
These gifts and new thought.
So, I bow on bended knee
To my good and gracious God.

Please forgive me, my Lord
For wasting Your provision to me.
Please plot a new course –
Here I am, send me.

“My child, you are forgiven.
I rejoice that you are here.
You’ve listened to my Spirit
Whispering in your ear.

One thing I need to correct –
Nothing is wasted with Me.
All things are useful
In a life that’s been redeemed.

What you think you’ve wasted,
Are lessons to be learned –
To share with those around you
Such as grace cannot be earned.

So, go, be courageous and true
Be the blessing I created.
Let go of those forgiven thoughts –
That anything in life is wasted.”

Something that’s been going on –
Going on for way too long,
And it’s nothing short of a disgrace.
To judge by the color of skin
Is hatred and blatant sin.
In God’s Kingdom it has no place.

Have we even read His Word?
It’s like we’ve never heard
The sixteenth verse of John three.
For God so loved us all,
Jesus Christ paid for all.
Are there exceptions that you see?

God loves the color of all faces.
He lovingly created all races
To live in harmony and peace.
So, hatred has no place
To those who live by faith.
How can we not all agree?

Have we read Matthew twenty-two?
Where Christ commands us to do,
To love God and love each other.
How can we deny His command
When we see the holes in His hands?
Such sin should make us shudder.

It’s all ignorance and evil
At the leading of the devil.
Who hates all that God creates.
Why don’t we choose to listen
To the holy One who has given
So great a mercy by His grace?

If one person would just step up,
Deny hate and choose to love.
Then our hearts might finally see.
The color that God sees in us
Is the red blood of Jesus
That forgives us and sets us free.

Brothers and sisters let’s unite
To join the good and just fight
And follow our Lord to the cross.
Let go of what’s been forgiven.
Dispense the grace we’re given.
And love every color that’s lost.

Then the world will finally see
A change they can truly believe
And turn to God’s mercy and grace.
They’ll see God does love us all
If we choose to answer His call
In His Kingdom racism has no place.

The same old voices keep shouting.
They’re calling out my name.
“Where have you gone, old man?
You don’t seem to be the same.”

“Don’t you remember the fun?
There was not a care in the world.”
The lack of care was the problem
Because of the damage it unfurled.

Not only on me as a man,
But more-so on those I loved.
Witnessing the pain in their eyes
The old life had caused enough.

So, I hit a spiritual crossroads.
Do I live to satisfy myself?
Will I let pride keep the wheel,
Or give it to someone else?

A softer but louder voice spoke
Into the darkness of my mind.
“I’ll lead you on a better path –
You can leave the past behind.”

“What you thought was of value.
What filled your heart and mind.
Are meaningless in eternity.
So, please leave them behind.”

“What awaits you in your life
Is the ideal by My design.
But you need to surrender
And leave yourself behind.”

The old voice that was shouting –
The one that left me blind.
Has now been silenced by Him,
And I gladly leave it behind.

I don’t know where I’m going,
But in Him I will always find
How much better life is
When I leave the past behind.

Catatonic silence –
When there are no words
For the evil I’ve seen
And the horror I’ve heard.

The pain’s too deep.
Lost and overwhelmed.
Like a ship in a storm
With no one at the helm.

What am I to do
To cope with my feelings?
Where are the words
For the hope of healing?

Then I heard a voice
Descending from above.
One I’d not heard before.
With an accent of love.

“I am Jesus,” He said.
I didn’t know You were real.
“Now You know the truth.
Tell Me how you feel.”

All I could do is weep.
I could not find the words.
Drowning in the pain
The thought of hope absurd.

He looked into my eyes
With the most loving gaze.
“I know that you’re lost.
I am the Way.”

In speaking those words
I was struggling to find,
The pain began to lift
Like sight to the blind.

“Forgiveness is My offer
And to be made whole.
Let me take the pain
And redeem your soul.”

“You’re no longer alone.
I’ll never leave your side.
Believe Me in My words.
And I’ll give you new life.”

Oh, what love and mercy
In these amazing words.
Ones found nowhere else.
The greatest I’ve heard.

This lost ship in the storm
Had finally found a home.
Refuge is in the words
Of Christ my cornerstone.

One Sunday morning
I was worshipping the Lord
When I heard a tapping
On my heart’s door.

“I see you know the words
To the hymn you’re singing.
I thank you for this worship –
This offering you’re bringing.

You have a beautiful voice.
There’s no doubt that is true.
But do you really know
Who you’re singing to?

You claim to trust my Son
By the words from your mouth,
But what I see on other days
Are pride, fear, and doubt.

Please know what I’m saying
Isn’t designed to condemn.
I seek to shine My light
On your unrepentant sin.

My Son died on the cross
To pay your sin’s price,
And His resurrection
Gave the promise of new life.

That new life was designed
To be free of sin’s chains.
So, why would you choose
To allow these sins to remain?

Forgiveness is life-giving,
But it’s your choice to receive.
You can let go of the burden
And take mine in belief.

You’ll then find new meaning
In the songs you’re singing.
I’ll rejoice in your gratitude
And the worship you’re bringing.

You choose to reveal Yourself
To those who take the time
To learn Your beautiful names
And allow sinners to find

You’re Creator, Savior, and Friend.
The Way, the Truth and the Life.
Redeemer of those in darkness
Because You are the Light.

Your name is a strong tower
Where the righteous are safe.
Our righteousness is in You –
Author and Finisher of faith.

Let the name of God be praised.
In no other name are we saved.
Not by works but alone by faith
In His love and amazing grace.

You’re the Wonderful Counselor.
The faithful Prince of Peace
You are the Lord who provides
All the mercy and grace we need.

You are the Promised One.
The long-awaited Messiah.
Shepherd and Lamb of God.
The Alpha and the Omega.

The Rock and our Fortress.
The One Faithful and True.
By grace You’re our foundation
That allows us to come to You.

So, let the name of God be praised.
In no other name are we saved.
Not by works but alone by faith.
In His love and amazing grace.

What was it like at the beginning
For Adam and Eve without sin?
Nothing to be ashamed or afraid of
No wrongs to be forgiven.

With the one notable exception,
They could enjoy the entire garden.
To live and eat as they pleased
With hearts not yet hardened.

Regarding that one exception,
God spelled it out clearly.
If they ate from that one tree,
It would cost them dearly

What more can we ask of God?
He told them what not to do.
Something He never desired
By their choice would come true.

Yet they chose to listen
To a voice they did not know.
Defying God’s warnings
Was the better way to go.

Despite all He had provided
To satisfy their every need,
They acted-on temptation
Giving in to pride and greed.

Just as He had warned,
Everything suddenly changed.
All their God-given liberty
By their choice died in shame.

Yet God is a God of mercy.
For He loves what He creates.
He could have abandoned them,
But chose mercy and grace.

And still today by His Word
He tells us what not to do.
Yet just like Adam and Eve,
We deny His word is true.

So, nothing has really changed
From the very beginning.
God still loves us despite
The fact we keep on sinning.

Since sin truly causes death,
Why don’t we choose what’s right?
And turn to a trustworthy God
Who forgives and gives new life?

Which voice will we listen to?
One that tempts and condemns.
Or the one Who’s proven His love
And comes to our defense.

The choice is ours and ours alone.
Shall we go on as Adam and Eve?
Or choose to trust God’s Word
And live in obedient belief?

When I look at every generation,
All of them in some kind of pain.
Chasing down false solutions
Or looking for others to blame.

What if we looked in the mirror?
Maybe we’ll find what’s missing.
To uncover the cause of our fear
Is what truly needs fixing.

The darkness that often lies deep –
Handed to us or inflicted on our own.
Guilt that prevents peaceful sleep.
The thorny fruit of bad seeds sown.

We carry our bitterness and grudges
Never giving forgiveness a thought.
That would steal our concept of justice.
Denying the mercy Jesus brought.

When He was hanging on the cross –
Bringing grace we didn’t deserve.
Paying for our sin’s fatal cost.
A faithful God true to His word.

Who proved His love for creation
With His Son’ great sacrifice.
Reconciling every tribe and nation
Who chooses to come to the Light.

Healing the pains and sorrows.
Uncovering the lies we believe.
Giving hope for eternal tomorrows.
Is the fixing we so desperately need.

To feel God’s liberating forgiveness
And be overwhelmed by His love.
To discover true and real faithfulness
And realize He is more than enough.

The world doesn’t have what we need.
Nor the answers to our pain.
Spiritual truth is what sets us free
When we let Christ rule and reign.

In hearts so eager for healing.
Finding peace we don’t understand.
Is there for those who are believing
And taking Christ’s nail-pierced hand.