Hide Away in the Love of Jesus

My son is not quite sleeping through the night yet. I am weary. In the morning I have to decide whether I will have a quiet time, including prayer and Bible study, or go back to sleep. I've found that half an hour of prayer and Bible study is worth much more than half an hour of sleep.

The past two mornings he has slept a six-hour stretch, and woken up completely ready to go, so my day has begun at 5. The Lord knew what I needed, though, because I got a good nap both days after I had my quiet time. I was so thankful.

I heard the song "Hide Away" this morning, which has the title lyrics of the Sovereign Grace album Come Weary Saints. I certainly can relate to being a weary saint, in every sense the song talks about.

Verse 1 is about actually being worn out and needing the Lord's refreshing. Never in my life before having two kids under two have I so needed, and found, the Lord's strength renewing me, keeping me going, even joyful. I seek His rest often, too. I've got to know my life has a purpose and that I'm fulfilling it. I have felt so ashamed of my own sin that I felt I couldn't keep walking the Christian walk. He has straightened me up. I have felt there was no happiness left for me, and He has brought the joy back.

Something I'm going to ponder is whether or not our culture allows people to really be weary anymore. Maybe it lets you be weary, but never hide away. I know sometimes it is up to me to say, no, I just can't do one more thing. I believe the time will come soon when I'll have to start being very careful so that I really don't overdo it and get really exhausted, or crowd quiet time with Jesus out of my life. This song helps remind me, when I tap into my true weariness, where I need to go.

More Power To Ya'

Everything eighties is new again. A bunch of the old hair bands are on reunion tours.

This post comes in response to the news of the CCM version, a Classic Petra tour , beginning this October in the states.

My husband, who will be celebrating his first Father's Day as a father of two on Sunday, likes to make fun of Petra. He didn't get into Christian music until he was in high school, and then only into alternative stuff. He loves eighties music, so I can't quite figure out why the equation doesn't add up for him.

Regardless, when we were both in college and he was going away on a summer mission trip, I made him a mix tape - that's right, I couldn't make a CD back then - and I included the song "More Power To Ya'", which I have always considered a very encouraging song.

The lyrics are a takeoff on Isaiah 40:29-31, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Come to think of it, it's probably something he needs to hear again as a father of two. Someone needs to cover this song, stat! I nominate Jars of Clay.

You say you've been feeling weaker
Weaker by the day
You say you can't make the joy of your salvation stay.
But good things come to those that wait
Not to those who hesitate
So hurry up and wait upon the Lord.

More power to ya'
When you're standing on His word
When you're trusting with your whole heart in the message you have heard
More power to ya'
When we're all in one accord
They that wait upon the Lord, they shall renew
They shall renew their strength.

Just thinking about this songs makes me feel all warm inside. It's beautiful, and I love it when a rock band does a beautiful ballad. I heard it as a child, which brings back fond memories. I hope that my kids still like some of the music that I like now, and that as a family we can have that connection someday. I bet they'll still like "classic" Switchfoot, TobyMac, and StellarKart.

I really hope I can go to a Petra show. I wasn't a superfan or anything, but so many of their songs still speak to me. I often think of earlier songs like "Computer Brains," "Speak to the Sky," "Clean," and "Not of this World." When I was a teenager our youth group sung a bunch of youth choir arrangements from the Beyond Belief album, so the title track, "Love," and "Prayer" are all in my mental repertoire. I bought the Wake Up Call album, in high school - on tape, I think - and could still sing along with it. Their music is enjoyable and reminds me of truth again and again.

I can't think of a better way to conclude than to say, Petra, More Power to Ya'!