My friend’s
compulsion toward addictive behavior has reared its ugly head for the second
time in her lifetime. She is in
recovery, and her healing comes with pain as she does the intense work of
self-examination and making amends. In assuring her that we have chosen to take this journey at her side, our mutual friends and I are made keenly aware that many in recovery suffer lives torn apart as they lose the love and support so important to them. I dedicate this post to those of us who make and keep the commitment to stay together, and I invoke two songs whose
interplay better describes our conviction than any essay could.
In
context, “Stand” may at first seem to be a prayerful benediction directed to the person in recovery. From
my perspective, it is also a statement of commitment from
those of us in support of our friend or loved one in recovery. We stand, we stay, we are not going away, and
while we honor restraints on our involvement, we still want our friends and
loved ones to see us as a presence, a shoulder, a prayer partner.
And
why do we stand? Why do we stay? Because, in “For Good,” we remind our
recovering friend it is not our heroism, but hers. Her presence in our lives
has been for good; we are here for good.
To those of you full of the loving intentionality that gives you the strength to stand, and to those for whom you stand, I offer the lyrics and the YouTube links to each of these songs. Read along and take in the spirit of each. If you can, do it together. It is my belief that it will remind you each of the courage you show each and every day of recovery. It is my hope that it will stir in you the grace to carry on together to the end of the recovery journey.
"Stand"
Written by Donnie McClurkin
Performed for the series "Smash"
What do
you do when you’ve done all you can
And it
seems like you can’t make it through?
And what
do you say when your friends turn away
And you’re alone?
Tell me, what do you give when you've given your all
And it seems like you can't make it through?
Well you just stand when there's nothing left to do…
You just stand, watch the Lord see you through.
Yes, after you've done all you can, you just stand.
Stand and be sure,
Be not entangled in bondage again.
You just stand, and endure
God has a purpose, yes God has a plan.
Tell me what do you do when you've done all you can
And it seem like you can’t make it through?
Child, you just stand, you just stand, stand…
Through the hurt, yeah, through the pain
Hold on, just be strong, God will step in and it won't be long.
After you done all you can,
you just stand.
“For Good”
“For Good”
From
“Wicked”
Performed by Kristin Chenoweth
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return.
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true,
But I know I'm who I am today
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun;
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood;
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good.
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
But let me say before we part…
So much of me
Is made from what I learned from you,
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...
Like a ship blown from its
mooring
By a wind off the sea;
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood;
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good.
And just to clear the air,
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for.
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share,
And none of it seems to matter anymore.
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun;
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood;
Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better.
Because I knew you...
Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good.
No comments:
Post a Comment