Find us faithful

 
 
*When most kids were into New Kids on the Block or Madonna, or even Milli Vanilli, my favorite musician was Steve Green. I thought he had a wonderful, God-given talent and used it accordingly.

I was a kid. I could listen to the radio. But I liked Steve Green.

Before my great falling away (when I was so discouraged at the age of 17), my heart burned for God. I wanted to know Him more than anything or anyone. I read my children's Bible and I loved the stories; they just came alive to me. I also struggled with so many childhood fears. Reading my Bible assured me that God had the answer to my fears. My childhood was not good, but I knew God could make the most out of my life.

I read so many other books about God because our church had a wonderful bookstore. And, my mom was the most voracious reader I had ever seen, so we had a considerable library of books about the Christian walk.

I thought I had a good idea of what God had planned for my life. Then a series of events transpired that showed me just how wrong I was. Discouraged and angry, I turned away from God when I needed Him most. I made gigantic blunders that have haunted me ever since. I've hurt people, including myself, unnecessarily and mercilessly.

A few years ago, I came upon one of those songs that stuck in my heart as a child. It was this song, "Find us faithful," from the album "People need the Lord." I don't know how many years had gone by without hearing it, but it had to be close to two decades.

My heart lept in my chest. Tears streamed down my face. I wept and grieved for the waste of all those precious years. I had not been found faithful, as I had hoped I would be at that point in my life. I had been found bitter, broken, destitute, and with nothing to show for my pains in life. After all, God does not promise us that we will not have pain in our lives. Quite the opposite. But, He does promise a way out and a greater purpose to our suffering.

As I sat there alone in my room and cried as I listened to this song, I realized my heart was desperately trying to find a way back to my God. Maybe I had wasted all those years, but I was determined not to waste another day.*

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

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