A song of resurrection and life, by one of our readers
One of our readers wrote a song a while ago and we published it in the comments thread on a post about Sarah’s obedience to Abraham in 1 Peter 3. (you can see the original comment here)
I thought it was worth revisiting the song. It speaks of new life after a period of great suffering.
While the immensity of our Savior’s suffering at Golgotha is something we can never fully apprehend, we do have an apprehension and foretaste of the resurrection life. His Holy Spirit has given us the seal of redemption in our hearts and the sure and certain promise of eternal life with Christ. We are in him, and we will be with him in paradise along with the repentant thief from Golgotha and all the other blood bought sinners he has adopted and brought into His family.
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.
That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
(2 Corinthians 1:20-22)
Let me introduce the song with a few words from the lyricist:
I believe we all leave according to God’s perfect timing and we hate that we stayed as long as we did, but if we had left sooner, we would have missed the dance. The dance is what makes us who we are today and God knows, had His plan been for one to leave sooner, everyone would have. Hope you like my song!
I WAITED LONGER THAN I SHOULD HAVE
I waited longer than I should have, trying to bow my knee.
Longer than I should have, trying to fix most everything.
Then the day arrived, tears falling from my eyes
And I realized that God was calling me.Calling me to peace
Calling me to love
Calling me to end the strife,
Yes, calling me to life.
Calling me to go
Calling me to see
He was always there,
Saying, come dance with Me.So I began the dance, one hot summer night
Trusting Him to lead me, away from all the fight.
Trusting Him to love me, just as He always had,
And leaning on Him fully, no longer living sad.Calling me to dance
Calling me to see
He had never stopped
Really loving me
Calling me to rest
Calling me to live
He was always faithful
But now I had to give.So I gave Him my hurt, gave Him all my dreams
Gave Him my heart, and He gently lifted me
Up from the depths of sorrow I had known
And gave me wings to fly, up to His heavenly throne.Calling me to freedom
Calling me to peace
Calling me to live my life
In freedom from abuse
Calling me to wonder
Why I stayed so long
But had I left much sooner
I wouldn’t know this song.I wouldn’t know the dance that God shared with me
I wouldn’t know the pain from which God set me free
I couldn’t be help to those that hurt just like me
I wouldn’t be sharing my pain for them to see.He’s called me to freedom
Called me to peace
Called me to live my life
In freedom from abuse
Called me to help
Those along the way
Who needed my past hurt
To have their victory.
- Posted in: Victims
- Tagged: getting free, hope, songs, suffering
A Cry For Justice 
This song is beautiful and speaks comfort to my heart. Thanks for posting, Barb, and Anon, thank you for writing it and sharing your journey with us.
To think that Jesus is our High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, our hurts, our loneliness because He experienced it all and more. He comforts us by His Holy Spirit working through His Word and through other people who are faithfully comforting others with the comfort they have learned and received…just as Anon has done in this song.
The song reminds me that God has a purpose: “I wouldn’t know the dance that God shared with me, I wouldn’t know the pain from which God set me free, I couldn’t be help to those that hurt just like me, I wouldn’t be sharing my pain for them to see.” And He has a plan: “He’s called me to freedom, Called me to peace, Called me to live my life In freedom from abuse, Called me to help, Those along the way, Who needed my past hurt, To have their victory.”
I sure would love to hear Anon’s tune to this.
I hear often from survivors who are struggling with visitation and custody nightmares. One wrote to me this morning saying she feels herself sling-shotting between frustration and oppression on the one hand due to these ongoing nightmares, and gratitude that she is at least now free from having to live constantly with the abuser.
I think a poem like this can be helpful at times when the post-separation abuse seems so awful that we can’t feel any of the joy of the dance. My heart goes out to any of you who are in that place right now.
Thank you dear Anon, for this poem. We need reminders of the fragrance of God’s love for us and his being with us though all of the steps of the dance. both the joyful and sorrowful.
This song is absolutely beautiful. Thank you. It touches the depth of my heart !
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful song! As I read the lyrics I felt it all over again…the pain, the heartache, the indecision, the fear, and finally…the relief…all the emotions that came about four years ago as my ex walked out and I not-so-bravely stepped away from an abusive marriage.
“He’s called me to freedom
Called me to peace
Called me to live my life
In freedom from abuse”
AMEN!!!!!!
Oh the peace, the freedom to find life again…thank you God!
BTW, I meant to ask if it is okay for me share the link to this post on my blog?
Yes it’s fine, Amy. Generally speaking we don’t mind people sharing or republishing anything from our blog, so long as you property attribute the source. You can read o detailed statement on re-publishing material from this blog by going to our Our publishing policy page and scrolling down a bit.
that song says it all
thank-you
just what I needed to read/hear this morning
god bless you for sharing this
“Calling me to peace”
I think this is really key- I think a lot of what those who command abuse victims remain in abusive marriages miss is what “peace” is. I understand that we cannot always live in peace, and in fact the Bible pretty much tells us as Christians we will not experience peace because of out faith, however, this does not mean we are called to non-peaceful marriages. I think this is one if the most powerful parts of Barbara’s book when she points out that in 1 Corinthians 7 when Paul talks about an unbeliever being willing to live with a believer, the implication is that this is willing to live in peace. To suggest that “willing to live with” means “willing to abuse” is simply not consistent with Paul’s character or his other instructions.
Amy, I love your profile picture in the field on a bright sunshinin’ day with your arms raised heavenward. Also love your testimony. You say you weren’t so brave at first, but now you are praising God – “Oh the peace, the freedom to find life again…thank you God!” It is soul strengthening to hear what it looks like “on the other side.”
I have to say, I wasn’t “brave” through most of the separation from my ex…I was a fearful, tearful soul, but I learned early on that through my fear God worked things out amazingly! I tried my hardest to run to Him through it all and to trust that He would never leave me.
There is always hope and that hope is found in God…
BTW, that picture is not of me, but I love it and feel it represents how I feel…life is good even in the midst of all the hard times we may experience and there is always something to be grateful for!
Amy, your perspective is so healthy and encouraging! I’ve sent your song to friends in Africa who have found it to be strengthening!