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I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences. Gertrude Stein

30 January 2008

I want to be one of them...

Music has such a powerful affect on me. It reaches my soul. This is one of those songs that I can hardly get through without crying because it grips my heart. It's so full of passion and it says what my heart can't articulate. I cannot explain the effect it has on me. Sara Groves is such a brilliant singer/songwriter. I heart her. :)

I love it. Love. It. So without further ado,


When the Saints by Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sister standing by the dying man's side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor

I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them

The longer I'm alive, I seem to be getting a little less foggy on what my heart beats for - what really drives me. I never had dreams for my future as a child. There's never been this one thing that I've always wanted to do or be. But when I sing the line about kicking down the brothel door to rescue the young girl huddled on the floor, I have such a lump in my throat. I think if I could choose to do anything that mattered, it would be to be that person. To rescue girls like her, and to help their hearts to heal from that.

I think that God uses music to speak to my heart, and maybe that's what He's doing with this song... maybe this is the start of something. I hope so.

5 people love me:

Anonymous said...

wow. Do it. that could be a really amazing calling. And just think, even if you save just one at a time, you and God will have changed a life.

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

I don't know this song, and I'm not big on poetry, but I have to tell you, just these words, without any melody, moved me. I think the lyrics express what many of us feel but don't know what to do. This just opens up a lot of thought lines.

Tonja said...

YEAHHHHH!!! I'll be your biggest cheerleader! I can't wait to see what God has in store for you :)
xoxo

Jim Baker said...

Linda - You must really read more of Sara Groves' lyrics! She continues to amaze me with the way she chooses her words and the subtle scripture references come right to the point without ramming it down your throat. One of my favorites is "You Are The Sun" off Sara's previous record Add To The Beauty with the lines:

"I am the moon with no light of my own
Still You have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to You."

We have a Sara Groves Yahoo Group that you can join and talk about Sara's music and discuss projects like those that she is involved with. Go to http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/saragroves/ to join the Group.

Nicole Thomas said...

Hello. I cam across your blog today as I was looking up some of the lyrics to the song "When the Saints" I LOVE it too! I just had to leave you comment and let you know. My husband bought me the cd after I was going on and on about how I heard this song and it tugged at my heart all day. I have listened to it repeatedly for the past two days and still get chill bumps when I hear it. I just wanted to share my joy in this song with you, one stranger to another. Also, music effects me BIG time too. I am so glad God made it for us. :) Have a blessed day, and thanks for the post. :)