Above My Brokenness-- Getting On My Feet

Hello friends, 
It sure has been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for my lack of posting here, it's just that I tend to get down in my days and caught up in routines, and I often don't know what to say to you. If you would like an update on what is going on in my life, you've come to the right place, so here it is...

I just got done with my first year at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Though I have learned a lot this past school year, I have managed to fall flat on my face in terms of my grades. This next semester, therefore, is very crucial to my success in school. I tell you that, to tell you this: I need to get my act together. And I think that there are others out there who may have felt or feel the same way every now and again. Where you get so wrapped up in your problems, that they just take control of your life and you drown in them, letting everything else around you fall apart. At least that's what seems to have happened to me.

This year at GCU, I had the time of my life outside of classes. I met wonderful people who are dear friends to me now, I had adventures in faith with my new friends, and I learned a lot of lessons that weren't from my classes. I'd like to share what I know now after this past year. 

First, I learned where I went wrong. This school year, though it was fun aside from my classes, was a year I took defeat when I should not have. I let my problems get the best of me and take victory in my life. That's not at all how it should have been. I should have realized sooner that I was slipping into disaster, and been able to rise above it. But I can't get too down on my self with "should have" and "could have" and all the things I wish I did better. Because I made mistakes, and there's no re-doing this year. So here's what I need to do now: I need to get back in the game and take control of what contributed to my defeats. And that leads into another lesson...

Second thing I learned is probably the newest realization for me and a major part in how I approach the fall semester. I AM NOT DEFEATED BY MY BROKENNESS. I don't need to live broken in order to rely on God. There are plenty of people out there who rely on God in their lives and live victoriously, so why can't I? I was not made to be defeated by my anxiety and depression, but I was made to walk free and live confidently in who I am in Christ! I am to show who He created me to be and be a light in the world. I am a beloved child of the One True King and He has created me for SO much more than living in defeat. 

The final thing I learned that we are in constant battle throughout life, but I have also learned that GRACE WINS EVERY TIME. Our God wins in the end of this, my friends. I can do this. You can do this. We can do this. We can be champions because we are conquerors through our Savior, Jesus Christ. The same God that was with David when he battled Goliath is with me and you too. We will see these giants FALL. 

So what is the point of this post? It is to remind you, and mostly remind myself, that God has got our lives so strongly and yet carefully in His hands that there is NOTHING we cannot do with Him on our side. I will get on my feet. I will choose joy. I will choose grace. I will choose to rise above my brokenness.

Will you?

Thank you for reading, my friends. I appreciate it and I would love the prayer support if you would ever so kindly lift me up in that way, and if there's any way I can lift you up as well, let me know. Be blessed.

Love,
Abby Lynn

Recovery, Relapse, and More Recovery

Hi friends. It's been a few months since I last posted here, but that's because I've been actively avoiding my blog, sadly. I think it's because I just haven't known what to say. I've had quite the bit of heart troubles going on and, without going into detail, it's just been weighing on my shoulders and making living life pretty difficult lately. But here we go on some personal reasons for why I've been avoiding my blog as well as other things I normally love dearly. 

For those of you that don't know, I've been battling depression since I was about 12 years old, but it was never really diagnosed until I was 18 and decided to go seek therapy for the depressive thoughts and my anxiety. I've struggled with the two together for about 10 years now and some might say it gets easier...I just say you get used to struggling constantly. But I'd like to believe that it can get better; that I can get better.

As you may have noticed the title of this post is called "Recovery, Relapse, and More Recovery" and I called it that because that's how it generally works for me. I have these great periods of time whether it be days, or weeks, where things are fine and I don't feel crippled by my anxiety or depression, that even though they're still there, I can tackle my troubles better equipped for battle, and I even think it's getting better and I'm healing. Then a real bad day hits, and I fall into a slump. And when I'm in a slump, it's bad. Like really really bad. Because unslumping myself is not very easy. I get caught up in dark depressive thoughts, entangled in my anxiety, and all I wanna do I sleep because then the problems I face can't get to me, but it's so hard to sleep when I have so much to think about. So I just go about my days in my slump going back and forth between sleeping and lying awake overthinking everything. But then something manages to set me straight again. And it's always the same thing.

Whenever I'm in my dark days I'm so dragged down by everything that I can hardly breathe, but here is what gets me out of my bed. Here is what gets me out of my slump long enough to catch my breath again and find some solid ground. It is when I have become so broken that I find myself on my knees on the bathroom floor of my college dorm. It is when I have become so broken that I have cried myself to sleep one too many times and now I lay awake this night praying for a change of pace. It is when I have become so broken that I am leaning into the arms of a friend to console me in the reality I have to face that maybe I am just too afraid to get out of my bed. 

For it is in my low state of brokenness when God sweeps down and reaches out to me to cradle me in his loving arms.

It is in my brokenness when God tells me "Hush, my sweet sweet child, for you are loved and you are not alone in this."

It is in my brokenness when God is the only thing left standing and left to be whole when it seems like everything else has shattered. 

Yesterday I went to church at Hillsong Phoenix to hear Pastor Terry give a sermon that hit home real hard for me. It was about who we are to God and how it doesn't matter what the world has to say about us so long as we know what God says, because he calls us loved, righteous, redeemed, chosen, precious, valuable, and so much more. 

I am SO MUCH MORE than my depression.

I am SO MUCH MORE than my anxiety.

I am SO MUCH MORE than my fear.

I am a child of God.

And so are you, friend.

The whole reason for this title is that it is how the cycle seems to go for me. But why didn't I say recovery, relapse, recovery, relapse, ect...? Because it ends with recovery. It ends with healing. It ends with getting better.

I'm not gonna just sit here and wallow in the depths of despair forever. I am not supposed to be this way. I was not created to be defeated. I was created to be VICTORIOUS.

WE were created to be victorious.

So friend, in the midst of my struggles and pain and confusion I tell you this. God is SO good. Okay? And he loves you more than you could ever imagine. I don't know what you're going through personally, but if it's anything like what I've been through and am still going through, then I guess we're in this together. You're doing great. Hang in there. And I will too.

~Abby Lynn

Spiritual Gifts (A Special Post)

Hello my loves! It's been a minute, hasn't it? Well, here we are, over a year of doing this blog and I send a big "Thank you" to all of you who have been following me from the very beginning, and to those who just joined in, welcome! Well, this is the first time I won't be posting a song analysis or a writing of mine, but rather this is an event I experienced today and just got back from. I have something quite wonderful to share with you, actually.

SO...

The other day one of my RA(resident assistants) posted on our floor FB page and asked if anyone would be interested in going to this Prism Women: Gift event and I had absolutely no clue what that meant, so out of curiosity, I looked at the description to find that this event would help reveal to me what my spiritual gift/s was/are to me and I would be lead by women who are more experienced in knowledge of their own spiritual gifts. 

BY THE WAY...The twelve motivational spiritual gifts are administrator, apostle, evangelist, exhorter(encourager), giver, helper, leader, mercy(comforter), prophets, server, shepherd, and teacher...

Any who, I went to the event today and got to worship, take a general assessment of what my spiritual gift is and then a more specific assessment that helped me to see my top gift. My main spiritual gifts are Helper at number one, and then Mercy, and it is crazy how much I learned today. I learned my downfalls and best qualities of my gifts, as well as how to use that gift to serve others and the Lord. 

Here's the coolest part though that I experienced, I had women with the gift of prophecy and encouragement speak over me and tell me what they heard God speak to their hearts about me. They lifted me up in prayer and I got to hear other testimonies from other women who have discovered their spiritual gifts as well. All the while, God was working so diligently on and in my heart that when the song "No Longer Slaves" was played for a short worship session, I was unable to even sing, I was so choked up and moved by the spirit of God working in my heart, telling me that I am a child of God and the chains I have been bound by are most certainly breakable, and he's going to break them and free me! 

Something else pretty cool was hearing one woman speak in tongues in a prayer over broken marriages, and another translate her speaking to "Grace grace grace grace grace", basically that grace is the answer to the problems in this one woman's marriage, and that when she shows her husband grace and love for how he is in his broken state, he will come before the Lord and bow and worship and praise His name.

All this wonderful stuff happened and it was really cool and I learned a lot, but the best part for me was simply the moving and working of God in my heart and mind and spirit, and just feeling His presence there with me to comfort me and guide me and assure me of His love for me. To know the truth of his love for me and how valuable I am to Him is so important, and if you don't know what your spiritual gift is, I so encourage you to find out what it may be and how you can use that to advance the kingdom and serve the Lord. I can assure you, it's one of the best choices you could ever make. <3

Thank you for reading this my dearies. I know it's different than my usual posts, but I felt the need to share what God is doing in my heart and I hope this has encouraged you to lay down you burdens before God and let him break your chains. Discover what He has for you, friends. You have a gift and a purpose; you were made for this.

~Abby Lynn

Magnify

Well hello dearies! I did say I'd be back soon, didn't I? And so here I am! There's a wonderful song I'd like to share with you called "Magnify" by the band We Are Messengers. I saw them at a concert festival back in August while I was still in Michigan and I hope I can see them again soon while I'm here in Arizona. Now I'm gonna be honest, that was the first I had really heard of this band, and now their song "Magnify" has become very quickly one of my new favorite songs. So here's my little analysis on what this song says.

Magnify by We Are Messengers
V1:
I've been trying to make sense of the sorrow that I feel
Holding on for life to the only thing that's real
I've only scratched the surface, I've barely had a taste
But just a glimpse draws my heart to change
And one sight of you lays my sin to waste
I don't need to see everything, just more of you

Chorus:
Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

V2:
My sight is incomplete and I've made you look small
I've been staring at my problems for way too long
Re-align where my hope is set, until you're all that's left
But just a glimpse draws my heart to change
And one sight of you lays my sin to waste
I don't need to see everything, just more of you

Chorus:
Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

~Oh God, be greater than the worries in my life
Be stronger than the weakness in my mind
Be louder, let your Glory come alive
Be magnified

God be greater than the worries in my life
Be stronger than the weakness in my mind
Be louder, let your Glory come alive
Be magnified
Be magnified~

Chorus:
Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you, to you

Now for the overall theme, I see very clearly the repetition of God becoming greater, and that's really the most important thing to take away from this song. Making God the biggest part of your life is the best thing you can do for your life. Because when He becomes greater, and we become less, our lives are much more joyful because we know who we're serving and living for. I'm not saying life is always easier and happier, but it's always worth it and it is so much more fulfilling to serve God and Magnify HIS name over ours.

Now to break it down to the verses...

V1:

I've been trying to make sense of the sorrow that I feel
Holding on for life to the only thing that's real
I've only scratched the surface, I've barely had a taste
But just a glimpse draws my heart to change
And one sight of you lays my sin to waste
I don't need to see everything, just more of you

V2:
My sight is incomplete and I've made you look small
I've been staring at my problems for way too long
Re-align where my hope is set, until you're all that's left
But just a glimpse draws my heart to change
And one sight of you lays my sin to waste
I don't need to see everything, just more of you

The verses show such an honest view of our broken human nature of feeling sorrow and making God smaller by focusing on our problems. But both times the verses draw to how just a glimpse of God's glory can change our hearts and draw us away from our sinful selves. And I love the line "I don't need to see everything, Just more of you," because so often I find myself searching and searching to see every little detail of the plan that God has for me, but it's not all about knowing everything and every cause and for every reason why God does what God does, but just letting Him reign supreme and rule our hearts, and minds, and spirits, and lives by having the control to just be God. We don't need to see everything, so long as we see more of Him.

Now the Bridge and Chorus...

~Oh God, be greater than the worries in my life
Be stronger than the weakness in my mind
Be louder, let your Glory come alive
Be magnified

God be greater than the worries in my life
Be stronger than the weakness in my mind
Be louder, let your Glory come alive
Be magnified
Be magnified~

Chorus:
Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you

Take it all, take it all away
Magnify no other name
Open up, open up my eyes
To you, to you

This is my prayer. This is absolutely what is on my heart. That God becomes greater than my personal worry and anxiety in my life, that He becomes stronger than the weakness I feel from my depression that holds me back, and that He becomes louder and more magnified throughout all aspects of my life. This is my prayer and I can't pray  it enough. It is my prayer for you, my friends, and for myself as well. That through all I say and think and do in this life, God is magnified and glorified and no other name is lifted high but His and His alone. 

So I pray for you, whoever is reading this, that God becomes magnified in your life and you make Him the priority. And I pray for myself as well, that I remember who's supposed to be in the center and who is in control here. Please, friends, remember who is in control and who holds you together. Give all praise back to Him because He is so worthy and may He be magnified in all of our lives. 

Thanks for reading and have a splendid day, my friends.

~Abby Lynn

Chain Breaker

Hiya sweethearts! Long time no post! Well, It's only been a month, but my goodness so much has happened to me in the past month that I felt the need to update you all on what goes on in the life of Abby Lynn.

For starters, I moved to Arizona for school, I turned 21, and I had another song hit me hard in the heart. Oh my word, friends. God is just so good. It's been a struggle to deal with the changes of moving as I have been sick with a cold for over a week, and I'm struggling to shake this sickness. But let me tell you about my God... He has given me opportunities to be active at Hillsong Phoenix on the creative team. He has given me wonderful people around me to help me adjust to the new life here in AZ. He has given me wonderful people back at home to love me from afar and show me constant love and support. He has given me all I need so far to be successful. Even through the sickness, I've been pushing through and trying to be productive while trying to rest up and feel better. Now let me be honest here, there sure has been a lot of spiritual warfare going on because Satan just can't help but attack God's children when we are more vulnerable to his threats and attacks. But let me, once again, tell you about my God, and also lead into the song analysis for this post... My God? He's incredible. He's supportive, strong, loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and always good. And no matter what the devil does to try and chain me down, my God is a chain breaker. So here's "Chain Breaker" by Zach Williams.

Chain Breaker by: Zach Williams
V1:
If you’ve been walking the same old road for miles and miles
If you’ve been hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies
If you’re trying to fill the same old holes inside
There’s a better life
There’s a better life

Chorus:
If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker

V2:
We’ve all search for the light of day in the dead of night
We’ve all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight
We’ve all run to things we know just ain't right
And there’s a better life
There’s a better life 

Chorus:
If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker

~If you believe it
If you receive it
If you can feel it
Somebody testify~

Chorus:
If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker

The main theme, I feel, is that no matter what your situation or circumstance, no matter your pain or hurt, no matter your chains that hold you down, our God is stronger than it all. He's a good God and He's gonna break those chains that have held you down all this time. He is so so SO good.

Now let's break it down to the verses...

V1:
If you’ve been walking the same old road for miles and miles
If you’ve been hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies
If you’re trying to fill the same old holes inside
There’s a better life
There’s a better life

V2:
We’ve all search for the light of day in the dead of night
We’ve all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight
We’ve all run to things we know just ain't right
And there’s a better life
There’s a better life 

The verses show the struggle that we all face. We've all gone through the motions and listened to lies of a voice that is not of God. We've all kept fighting to fill ourselves with something to bring us fulfillment and we've come to a loss because, if we look to fill ourselves with anything other than God, we're still empty and left searching. But the verses conclude with this hope. There is hope because you don't have to keep searching and remaining empty. We have something that can fill us and satisfy our longing for love. God has all we need, my friends. God IS all we need.

And now let me share the bridge and the chorus...

~If you believe it
If you receive it
If you can feel it
Somebody testify~

Chorus:
If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker.

You see that? If you got pain, HE IS A PAIN TAKER. You lost? HE IS A WAY MAKER. In need of freedom or saving, well friends, OUR GOD IS A PRISON-SHAKING SAVIOR. And you get bet that if you've got chains holding you down, just give it all to Him because HE IS A CHAIN BREAKER. But now I ask this of you. If you know this to be true, don't keep it to yourself. If you know this to be true, go out and testify. Share your findings with others, tell the story of the chains that God has broken in your life, and if He is still breaking those chains, or you're wondering why He hasn't set you free yet, maybe you need to surrender to Him first. That's step one. Give your heart to Him and surrender whatever holds you don't and I know He will set you free. How do I know this? Well, He's a good God. He's a strong God. He's a faithful God. And HE'S A CHAIN BREAKING GOD.

Please take time to let this truth sink in if you're in the valley of your fears right now. Embrace the grace of God, my friends, and know that He just wants to set you free. May you have a splendid rest of your day, and week, and I'm sure I'll be back real soon. :)

~Abby Lynn

No Longer Slaves

What's up, buttercups? I wanted to bring to light a wonderful song that has been on my heart lately as I get ready to make some big changes and head to GCU in Arizona in about 19 days! Now, I think we can all agree that change can be a scary thing, so that's where this song comes into play. See, God didn't give us a spirit of timidity and fear, we are to do His will and walk free from sin and shame and death and fear as we follow in the footsteps of His love. So here is a song called "No Longer Slaves". I hope ya like it :)

No Longer Slaves by: Bethel Music

V1: You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
'Til all my fears are gone

[Chorus x2]
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

V2: From my mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again
Into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

[Chorus x4]
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

~Bridge: You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I could stand and sing
I am a child of God...

You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
You drowned my fears in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am a child of God~

[Ending]
Yes, I am
I am a child of God
I am a child of God
Yes, I am
I am a child of God
Full of faith
Yes, I am a child of God
I am a child of God

Okay, so you know that drill, and if ya don't, here's the drill: Let's analyze this song overall at first, and then break it down by verse. So for starters, my overall message that I'm hearing repeated over and over again is how we are CHILDREN OF GOD. Like, we are children of the creator of thbe universe, breather of stars, Lord of Lords-- He is our Heavenly Father and because of this, there is no reason why we should be held captive to fear and sin any longer. He breaks our chains and sets us free from fear. What. A. God. Am I right?

So now that we have an overall summary, let's check out the verses...

V1: You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
'Til all my fears are gone

V2: From my mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again
Into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

First thing to note here is God's faithfulness to deliver us from our enemies. He is a faithful God who promises to love and protect us and here we see that we have a "song of deliverance" from our enemies that sets us free from our fears. Our God is so good and s faithful to deliver us safely. The second thing to note in the verses is how God calls us as His children. He doesn't just look at us as a number, but He calls us individually, BY NAME, as His chosen children. We are His and His alone. Death has no sting, sin has no power, and fear no longer rules us because we are chosen by Him. The final thing I noted is that we are not only delivered and chosen by God, but we are also new creations because of Him. He loves us so much, that He takes are old sinful selves and cleanses us and frees us from sin. "So there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."-Romans 8:1(NLT) Boom. There it is. We are free from our sins and free from death and free from ALL condemnation because we belong to Him now. How AMAZING is that? No past, present, or future sin can seperate you from the God who called you because you have been delivered and made new.

Now we're gonna clump the chorus and ending together...

[Chorus]

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

[Ending]
Yes, I am
I am a child of God
I am a child of God
Yes, I am
I am a child of God
Full of faith
Yes, I am a child of God
I am a child of God

In case you weren't reassured yet or didn't know it yet, you're a child of God. You are loved and chosen by Him to be a part of His family. And because of this, you are free from your past slavery to fear. You have been set free.

And finally let's look at the bridge (AKA: My favorite part)...

~Bridge: You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I could stand and sing
I am a child of God...

You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
You drowned my fears in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am a child of God~

How crazy awesome is our God? That He splits the sea for us, and covers our fears in His perfect love, and rescues us and makes us Hid very own children!! Our God is a loving God and a personal God, He is not distant and far away, but He is right here for us whenever we need us. He's only a prayer away, and friends, please remember how loved you are by Him. Calling you by name, choosing you for His family, saving you by sacrificing His only begotten son-- These are not the actions of a distant and hateful God, but by THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the one who loves like no other and you know what? HE LOVES YOU. He loves you so much, He just wants you to be a part of His family, my dear friends. Please remember that.

Well there you have it. I pray you all have a wonderful night and I'll hopefully post again soon :) 

Love always, Abby Lynn

Come Home

Hello there lovelies. It's me again. It's been quite some time since I last wrote, but I thought I would give a quick update on life and I rediscovered a wonderful song I thought I'd share with you all. SO basically, I'm just getting ready to go to school in Arizona in the fall at Grand Canyon University and I'm super excited about it. But Ya see, I've been feeling kinda distant from God lately. I haven't been getting out of bed very well, I haven't been praying and spending as much one on one time with Him, and I just haven't had my heart in my days anymore. Though I am aware that I can't spend my whole life living ina spiritual high, as nice as it would be to always be that happy and joyful, I still have been getting pretty beat up by my depression and the rest of what's been going on in my life. So I found this song today on one of my playlists and I haven't heard it in a while, but it's a very relevant song and a great reminder of who God is and how He loves me. This song is Called "Come Home" by a band named Luminate. I hope you like it.

Come Home by: Luminate

V1: You're best friends with the word regret
You're afraid that your life's been wasted
So why hope if it's only gonna let you down?

You don't think people really change
You're a mess and you'll always be the same
And you doubt if you'll ever get it turned around

Chorus: So you've been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
But it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, mercy doesn't care what you've done

So come home
So come home

V2: You can try to fix your broken empire
Put bricks on a cracked foundation
But you'll be building castles on the sand

There's power in the blood of Jesus
Your father's screaming just come home
And he's reaching out His hands

Chorus: I know you been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
Well, it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, mercy doesn't care what you've done

So come home
So come home

Bridge: From the shadows, from the wrong roads
From the darkness, from the unknown
To redemption, something beautiful
To a new love, to a new home

Chorus: I know you been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
And it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, mercy doesn't care what you've done

So come home
So come home

So first, overall summary of the song. It's pretty much about how we've wandered astray and have become distant from God and how, no matter what we've done, God still wants to take us back and have us return home to Him.
And here's the break down and we're gonna start with the verses...

V1: You're best friends with the word regret
You're afraid that your life's been wasted
So why hope if it's only gonna let you down?

You don't think people really change
You're a mess and you'll always be the same
And you doubt if you'll ever get it turned around

V2: You can try to fix your broken empire
Put bricks on a cracked foundation
But you'll be building castles on the sand

There's power in the blood of Jesus
Your father's screaming just come home
And he's reaching out His hands

Verse 1 is what I'm calling "The relateable intoduction" because I feel like many of us can relate to this first verse. It's so easy to get caught up in life and the mistakes we make just trying to figure out what we're doing and ya know, that's how we lose track of God in our instablity. But here's something good: Even though we lose track and can give up on God, He doesn't do that to us and He NEVER will. And that's what we see in Verse 2. My very favorite part of the whole song is the second part of Verse 2 where it says "There's power in the blood of Jesus,  and your Father's screaming 'Just come home!' He's reaching out His hands." I think that's a perfect picture of what God does for us. We have been made new because we belong to Him and He calls out to us. Not even that, he SCREAMS out to us to just...come home to Him. I think that paints a beautiful scene in my head of the story of the prodigal son, but in my head it's me. I'm the one who ran away, and then there's God running out to me and reaching out His hands to welcome me back home again.
Now for the bridge and Chorus...

Come home...

Bridge: From the shadows, from the wrong roads
From the darkness, from the unknown
To redemption, something beautiful
To a new love, to a new home

Chorus: I know you been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
And it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, mercy doesn't care what you've done

So come home
So come home

How great is it to know how much love our Father up in Heaven has for us, that though we've strayed and wandered from Him, we can NEVER outrun His grace and mercy and love that never ends. From our darkness and and our mistakes, we can still go home to the redemption and love of our God. When we've realized we've gone astray and have done wrong, the best possible thing we can to is go back to God and confess to Him how we have strayed and He welcomes us back with open arms. Don't stay in your darkness anymore, my friends! It's not always the easiest thing to do, but going back to God is the best thing you could ever do. The smartest choice I have ever made, by far, was choosing to chase after God and run home to Him. His love is the only thing that can fully statisfy out hearts, and this is a lesson that I may have to keep learning over and over again throughout my life, but it's one of the most important lessons I've learned for sure. Make God your number one. And when you've fallen away from Him, please don't forget that He always calls you back home. You just need to listen to Him.

Well there ya have it, folks. That's my insight on how I've been feeling and what I feel this song tells me. I hope you all have a wonderful day and rememeber, Jesus loves you :)

~Abby Lynn