"Went There"

I went there just the other day,

Where I don’t often go,

Rode horseback in my memory,

To that place I rarely show.

A place of grief and heartbreak,

When they said my sister’s gone,

No doubt the waves had drowned her,

When we hoped they were wrong.

Don’t like to think about it,

Don’t dwell on it too much,

Remember sweeter times with her,

While growing up and such.

I know she is in heaven,

There with all the rest,

Momma died and joined her,

And home with Him it’s best.

But still on some occasions,

I cannot help but go,

And think about the way she died,

Things I don’t want to know.

In Georgia water five long days,

Before they pulled her out,

I’m glad I didn’t see that,

Or be there then, no doubt.

We all have our heartbreaks,

Some struggle and some pain,

When it gets overwhelming,

I’m reminded once again,

That God’s grace is sufficient,

For every single need,

And even with dark memories,

His Spirit says He’ll lead.

And one more thing I’ll tell you,

My brother was with me,

We searched for her together,

When bad news came, you see.

We sat and cried together,

A steak and whiskey shared,

And found the place as brothers,

God showed how much He cared.

We deal with things our own way,

Some not so well it’s true,

But I’d take nothing for it,

When God’s own peace comes through.

I don’t often do it,

Most times I stay away,

But sometimes in my memory,

I ride, but do not stay.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT)

What makes you feel weak? It’s not only when we feel tempted to do the wrong thing. It sometimes happens when something tragic overwhelms us with pain, heartbreak, or sorrow. That’s what happened to me when my sister died tragically. But there was grace. There always is grace, and that grace is faithfully administered by the Holy Spirit, no matter what. Does things always turn out the way you want? No. Do you always get the miracle you ask for? No. But you will always get grace, and it will be enough to meet whatever challenge you face. It’s good to know. It’s better to receive. It’s best to share the grace with others.

Lord, help us to lay claim to the grace that is always sufficient for every need, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, billantonstudio.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.