This Road that We Travel

All heavy laden acquainted with sorrow
May Christ in our marrow, carry us home
From alabaster come blessings of laughter
A fragrance of passion and joy from the truth

Grant the unbroken tears ever flowing
From hearts of contrition only for You
May sin never hold true that love never broke through
For God's mercy holds us and we are His own

This road that we travel, may it be the straight and narrow
God give us peace and grace from You, all the day
Shelter with fire, our voices we raise still higher
God give us peace and grace from You, all the day through

Tonight, I don't really have much to say, other than I've been re-captivated by this gem of a song. Jars of Clay is one of my favorite bands, if not my absolute favorite. 'This Road' was the first song of their's I ever heard. I remember my first time listening to it. I was only a kid - maybe 12 - and I found it on a CD we got from some old Dollar Tree that sold unpopular CDs for only a buck. It came on an album called 'The Dove Awards: 2001. I listened to it, and... I remember being moved, even as a child of 12. Really, I hadn't exactly given my life to Christ yet at that point, but the depth and meaning of the lyrics resonated in my for years to come.

I return to this song years later, as a Christian, and it touches my heart like no other. The main idea is that the life we're living - this road that we travel - ends someday... but there is hope in that. Our happy ending begins by the Creator of the Universe welcoming us into his Kingdom with open arms. This song is about the trials that lead up to that awesome day, but until then, the road is rough, and the fight is long. We can only pray that, in the meantime, God will make the road straight and narrow. That he will give us peace. That he will protect us; shelter us. That he will follow us, shepherd us, love us all our days through.

He will. Oh, how he will.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord... Forever." - Psalm 23:6

Enjoy the music.

-Matt