I love Nichole Nordeman! ("exclamatory titles" number 3)

I LOVE Nichole Nordeman. If you don't know that, then you don't know me. (So I guess if you're reading this, welcome to knowing me). But I do--I love her. I love her voice, I love her thoughts, I love her heart behind them both... I love the way she writes lyrics and puts them to music... it convinces me that God's first language is SONG. I love her songs. All of them (well...ok, there are a couple I skip...but they are ones she only covers anyway). When I put my headphones in at the gym and turn my iPod onto random, I'm BOUND to get a Nichole Nordeman song in the mix, because I have all 128 of them! (Definitely made that number up--but there are a lot. GOOD!)

When the NN song comes on, I just go ahead and change my playlist to only songs by her for the rest of the time after that (still on random of course...it's how I roll at the gym). If it's taking too long to get to one by her, I just go ahead and ch... oh wait--I just typed that. Yep! I do the same thing in both situations.

So today... I didn't bother waiting for either. Instead:
1-Entered gym doors
2-Hung keys on little hooky thingy
3-iPod strapped to (buff) bicep
4-iPod, "Music"-> "Artists" -> "Nichole Nordeman"... "Shuffle - - - - songs"
5-Middle button of iPod to get things rolling
6-"Brave" scrolling across my screen... AAAAH, SO good, but not what I'm blogging about here.
7-"Brave" done. "Even Then" scrolling across my screen. Also SO good. Totally what I'm blogging about here.

...So here it is... because I know I won't be the only one relieved by these words. Because I know that, most of the time, we put expectations on ourselves or project that others have them of us. But even when they are really there, however they've come about, this is what Jesus has been teaching me to pray...

Even Then

It's a fear that keeps me wide awake
In the middle of the night
When the expectations are too great
And the bar gets raised too high
So I do the best with what I've got
And hope that no one knows
That I strain to see how high I can
Try to stand on these toes
Until I'm measured, but You know better

So, thank You, Jesus
Even when You see us just as we are
Fragile and frail and so far
From who we want to be
So, thank You, Jesus
Even when the pieces are broken and small
Dreams shatter and scatter like the wind
Thank You, even then

So I put aside the masquerade
And admit that I am not okay
Which may not be the thing to say
But I'm not ashamed to need You more each day

So, thank You, Jesus
Even when You see us just as we are
Fragile and frail and so far
From who we want to be
So, thank You, Jesus
Even when the pieces are broken and small
Dreams shatter and scatter like the wind
Thank You, even then

We raise the standard and try to reach You
But we'll never make it, and we don't need to

So, thank You...


Thank You, Jesus. I don't reach You--You've reached me.



...And thank You for Nichole Nordeman. Amen.