Everything

I grew up (7th grade on) with Christian recording artist Bebo Norman. We were in Youth group together at First Baptist Church in Columbus, GA. His parents were my Sunday School teachers in high school and he & his siblings were my friends.

It is so much fun following his career, because "I knew him when" he, Rich and Ed had their start up band, Southern Heaven. They played at various youth gatherings in town. I remember when they recorded their first cassette tape (it was white) in the Young Life office with our then Area Director, Ben Lewis. They wrote all their own songs and Kelli Palmer sang back up on their melodramatic song about graduation, Walking Away. There was a New Year's Eve at the river where he spent the whole evening in a back bedroom at the Boyds writing, The Hammer Holds. I have proudly purchased each new release, long since he really 'needed' hometown support.

I also remember the first time I went to Frontier Ranch in Colorado and saw someone from Knoxville, TN wearing a long sleeve grey t-shirt that simply said BEBO across the front. It made me & my friend Laurie giggle like crazy.

Time and life has led us on different paths, so now I watch from afar and delight in how God is using this old friend. I clicked on his latest video release today via Twitter, God of My Everything, and was blown away by both the lyrics and the story behind the song. These lyrics, written for a family member after a long struggle with addiction, are so beautiful:

Oh God of Heaven come and hem me in
Gather the pieces that are broken
Show me the wonder of You again
Oh God of Heaven

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

In all creation You call my name
In all the beauty that this world displays
Still I'm the one for who Your heart aches
In all creation

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

And when the mountains shake
You are my God
You never change
And when the earth gives way
You are still God
You never change

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything
-Bebo Norman

I think one of the biggest lies we can allow the Enemy to convince us of, is that we are too broken and messed up for God. We only want Him to see the parts we deem 'cleaned up' enough for Him.

What backwards thinking! He wants ALL of us. He is especially good at healing what is broken and redeeming what has been lost. He sent His Son not just for parts of us, but for EVERYTHING.