Break those chains…
It’s been a rough few months for my family and me. Death, illness, and a few other things have plagued us. I climbed into the shower this morning after some bad news and being down with the flu for a few days, and decided it was time to bring out the “Jesus is my Jam” playlist.
Don’t get it twisted - Jesus is my Jam Every. Single. Day. but I don’t listen to Christian music much. It’s not that I don’t like it. I absolutely love old hymns especially. I grew up with my grandfather belting out How Great Thou Art, Old Rugged Cross, and Amazing Grace. But I have a bit of an aversion to most of it nowadays. Let me explain…
My first husband was always in a worship band. From the moment he learned how to play the guitar as a teenager, he was on stage leading worship in some capacity. This bled over into our personal lives - all we listened to at home or in the car was worship music. At the time, I didn’t mind it much. I appreciated him in what I thought was an attempt to be the spiritual leader of our home by insisting that only wholesome music was on. The reality behind this facade was that my husband was having multiple affairs that eventually ended up in him getting another woman pregnant at the same time as me and leaving our family.
I’m fine. We are all fine. This was over ten years ago. But just like that one food you can never eat again because you got food poisoning right after - yeah, that’s worship music for me. So, I have this small playlist filled with my favorite hymns and a few other songs that I love (shout out to Shane & Shane for being the real MVPs on that playlist).
This morning was one of those mornings when my own words were failing me and I didn’t know how to pray, so to the playlist I turned. I belted out “Oceans” - my forever ballad to God, “How Great Thou Art” - the version by Vince Gill and Carrie Underwood is my all-time favorite, then “Chain Breaker” by Zach Williams came on and stopped me in my tracks. If you don’t know it, it goes like this…
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.
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 Saviour
If you got chains, He's a chain breaker.
We've all searched 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, when there's a better life, there's a better life…
In that moment, through the words of that song, God reminded me that He has broken my chains before. He has set me free. He has made a way when I thought there wasn’t one, and He will do it again and again!
As I stepped out of the shower and looked at my phone, I received a message - one of the things I was stressing about had already resolved itself.
I think sometimes God is sitting there tapping His foot in angst saying, “Child, would you just ask me to help you already instead of doing it all alone?!? I’ve got you!”
I know that anytime I have let go and put it in His hands, it has turned out way better than if I had tackled it all by my little stubborn self. He’s just sitting patiently waiting for you to let Him take the wheel so you can climb in the passenger seat for a bit and rest. He’s got you… if you let Him!
Blessings on Blessings,