zubinlee †

jeffreyhahn96:

“How long has it been since you looked up from the earthly details of life and came face to face with the Grand Canyon of what God has done for us in the gospel-his unfathomable grace in forgiving people who have rebelled against him, his breathtaking plan to send his Son to suffer and die in their place, to establish the throne of the resurrected Jesus over a kingdom of perfect righteousness, and to bring those who are saved and redeemed by his blood into a new heavens and new earth where sin and evil will be forever conquered!

How is it that I let the beauty and power and vastness of that gospel be crowded out of my mind so often and for so long?  Why is it that my thoughts and emotions are often dominated by silly things like whether my car is clean, or what’s happening on CNN right now, or whether I was happy with my lunch today, rather than by these glorious truths?  Why do I often organize and think about my life as if I were wearing blinders, rather than in the light of eternity?  Why does this gospel not permeate, all the time and all the way to the bottom, my relationships with my wife and children, my coworkers and friends and fellow church members?

I know exactly why.  It’s because I’m a SINNER, and WORLDLINESS will continue to linger in my heart and war against me until the day Jesus comes back.  But until then, I want to FIGHT against that.  I want to FIGHT against spiritual laziness-against the drugged stupor this world constantly threatens to put me in-and I want to EMBRACE this gospel HARD and let it affect everything-my ACTIONS, EMOTIONS, DESIRES, THOUGHTS, and WILL.”  - Greg Gilbert

Overlooking the gospel and thinking that you have outgrown it is so easy to do, but I hope that through this post you can really reflect on your lives and really see the beauty behind just how preeminent God is and just how insufficient we are.  I hope that you are blessed, motivated and challenged!  (Much thanks to Jason Min)

jasonmin:

First off, I just want to thank you all so much for your encouraging emails, messages, and comments over the past few days…the support for this song has been overwhelming, and I’m truly humbled that God can use a simple song like this to make such a powerful impact on people’s lives. Many of you have asked that I post the lyrics and explain the song in greater detail, so here goes.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a couple who my girlfriend refers to as her “American grandparents.” Having known this couple for a few years now, I can say that John and Carol are two of the warmest people I have ever met. Their marriage is the epitome of what I hope my marriage with my wife will look like one day.  

Recently, we were told that Carol had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and that her condition had progressively worsened over the past few months. When we visited John and Carol, it was immediately apparent that things were not the same. Their house felt eerily sterile and cold, and Carol was not herself at all. All of our attempts to carry on a normal conversation with them proved futile. It was evident that John was having enormous difficulty accepting the reality of what had become of his wife and his marriage.  

On the car ride home, my heart broke for John. I began wondering what it would be like if the love of my life suddenly forgot who I was. How on earth could I muster the strength to keep loving her? When I first started writing the song, my original intention was to capture the heart of a man struggling to love his wife. One problem was that I could not relate with John at all. Everything I wrote seemed disingenuous and contrived. I decided to scrap the concept altogether and write the song from Carol’s perspective. I realized that the story was very different when looked at through her eyes. A woman basically wakes up every morning and sees a stranger loving her in the most selfless way. The wedding picture on the living room table confirms that she might have loved this man once, but for now, she has no recollection of this love. And yet, though the woman cannot even remember this man’s name, she desperately wants him to stay with her.

I have to admit that I’ve never cried so much while writing a song. Perhaps it’s because the story of this couple reminds me so much of my relationship with God. As much as I would like to think that I’m John in the story, I know that I’m actually a lot more like Carol. I think all Christians, at some point in their walks, experience a form of spiritual Alzheimer’s. We forget what God looks like, what He’s done in our lives, and the price He paid for our sins. We shun Him and cheapen His grace to the point where He becomes a complete stranger. And yet, for those of us who have ever experienced the goodness of God’s love, there will always be a part of our being that pleads with Him to stay near to us even in our most rebellious state. Praise God that we have a Savior who is relentless in His pursuit of sinners like us. 

The Man and His Wife

How do you put on my coat every morning
When I don’t know your name
You rake the leaves while I am sleeping
When I don’t know your name

I don’t know who you are but

Please don’t leave me alone here
‘Cause I’m coming undone
Oh, tell me you’ll stay
When I don’t even know your name 

I know you tried to be quiet
But I heard you weeping for me
You wear a smile, act like it’s nothing
But I know there’s more

You, I don’t know who you are but

There’s a picture 
In the middle of the living room table in black and white
The scene looks familiar
but I just don’t remember this man and his wife 

So will you play your guitar
And sing me a love song
When I don’t know your name
When I don’t know your name