I felt the captor’s chains around me tight
The weight I carried– too much to bear
I fell upon my knees and cried in pain
Hoping someone would hear me
But no one was there

I wanted to run
But my weak legs wouldn’t carry me
I wanted revenge
But he was impossible to fight
So I went along
And did as I was told
Soon enough, I didn’t even notice
The chains’ hold

My captor was leading me down
But now I couldn’t tell
When I thought that I was strong
He made me weaker ’til I fell
And in a moment, my defeat
I tried to walk too close to the fire’s heat
And I got burned.

As more time passed, the heaviness returned
The chains that bound me
Began again to hurt
I cried out again, sure no one would hear
Suddenly ,I stopped because I could feel

Chains I carried so long
Were falling off my shoulders
I lifted my head
To look on the One who rescued me
And that bloodied face
So full of love
Spoke softly to me
“My child, this is for you.
This is for you. You are free.”

My Savior was hanging on a cross
Yet still He held the key
His blood dissolved the captor’s chains
That suffocated me.
And in a moment, victory
I once was blind, but now I see
The Savior rescued me.

I was picturing an emotionally and physically exhausted girl when I wrote this. Even though this experience is not my own, I believe that it illustrates our weakness as Christians. We all have mistakes, no matter how big or small. It’s wonderful to know that Christ’s work on the cross can forgive every sin-past and future, no limits. We start to label some people with the scarlet letter without realizing that that person could just as easily be us. This song is meant to remind us that our Father, though He is utterly devastated and disappointed when we fall into sin, will forgive us and go on loving us just as he did before. If you want to see a beautiful description and explanation of this fact, open your Bible and turn to Hosea chapter 2, last 20 verses or so. You’ll see…

I wake up wondering where I am
Last night I was flying
When did I land?
Unsuccessfully trying to erase all my pain
Nothing left to lose
Nothing to gain

I was so high on the drug
So low on love
That I’d believe anything he’d say
Now I just wait
For this nightmare to end
I can’t even remember his name

Chorus:
Turn back the night
Lord, turn back the night
If they’d see me now
They’d be sick at the sight
Turn back the night
Where’d my innocence go?
I thought it’d make me happy
But, now I know
O Father, turn back time
Turn back the night

I tried to run from the shattering glass
Of my fragile heart
When I watched him breathe his last
I was looking for love everywhere
But the place
That it’s always there

I was searching for meaning
My flesh, it was screaming,
“I’m falling apart
Give me a way
To escape all these breaks
In my heart..

Chorus

Bridge:
I’m looking to You now, Daddy
Show me your love
Promise me You’ll never leave
I’m looking to You, Daddy
Cleanse me, I’m so ashamed
Of what I’ve done
Can you wash me white,
Can you wash me white
When I can’t turn back the night?

Revised Chorus:
Turn back the night
Lord, turn back the night
If they’d see me now
They’d be sick at the sight
Turn back the night
Where’d my innocence go?
I thought it’d make me happy
But, now I know
O Daddy, I’ve made a mess this time
Heal my breaking heart
Cleanse this filthy, guilty soul
Wash me white
But, how I wish I could turn back the night

One blade of grass on the rolling hills
One grain of sand on the shore
One drop of the infinite ocean
Only one-nothing more.

One shining star in the midnight sky
One seed in fields of thousands
Just one soul among the myriads
Lost in the deafening sounds.

How can just one change the landscape?
What would one life have to do
To mold the countless lives around her,
Make them beautiful and new?

If one blade of grass was greener
Stronger, taller than the rest
Would not the others seek to reach her
Try to grow their very best?

If one grain of sand sought an oyster
That she might become a pearl
The others would seek her beauty
Try to be just like her.

If one drop within the ocean
Absorbed all the salt it could
Would not the other drops decide
As well, that they all should?

If one shining star shone brighter
Than all other stars combined
Those other stars would try to be
The brightest star that shined.

If one seed grew roots much faster
Than the many seeds around
Would not those seeds drink in the sunlight
Pushing deeper underground?

But, this is the real question,
What if one soul took a stand
Refused to buckle under
Temptation’s mighty hand?

What if she lived her daily life
With Christ’s love in her soul
And tried to show to others
How He has made her whole?

If one soul became the vessel
God intended her to be
Jesus’ love would overflow her
And flow out to you and me.

 

Really?

Do you really need to feel Him
Rock the earth from side to side?
Do you truly think He has to
Blow down cities far and wide?

In order to believe Him,
Must you glow with sudden light?
In order to obey Him,
Must He prove that He is right?

He’s God and can do anything
We all know that for sure
But, what happened to our faith in
What He’s said and nothing more?

We shouldn’t need a miracle
To know that He is there
Our jaws should never drop in shock
When He answers a prayer.

Has He never shown us
What He says is always true?
Have we never seen Him work,
Seen what His power can do?

Let us ask of our Heavenly Father
Trusting He’ll hear when we pray
And let us remember He loves us too much
To ever lead us astray.

Struggling up Golgotha’s hill
In pain and agony
A cruel cross upon His back
That’s bleeding endlessly.

Roman soldiers lead Him
To the place where He’s to die
They hatefully insult Him
Yet He offers no reply.

His body’s weak from beatings
Blood is streaming down His face
He stretches His arms wide
As if to offer an embrace

To the soldiers, to His killers
To the ones that put Him there
To all people ever on this earth
Whose sins He now must bear.

But, His offer is rejected
As they pierce His loving hands
Still, as they set the cross erect
He proves His offer stands.

Limply hanging all alone
His arms outstretched remain
For love that’s unconditional
Is not made weak through pain.

The love of my Lord Jesus
I know will never fail
No matter what mistakes we make
Love always shall prevail.

Never has a greater love
Than His great love been shown
At Calvary, God’s only Son
Made all our sins His own.

 

Bleeding Tears

As she pushes through the noisy crowd
She thinks on days gone by
For twelve long years she’s suffered
Borne the same, no tears to cry.

Today might be her only chance
A healer’s passing through
She knows no pills, no doctors,
And no cures will ever do.

They’d said, “He is a prophet
Ateacher, leader, king!”
But to her, a poor, ill woman
All that doesn’t mean a thing.

What she needs now is healing
Relief from constant pain
She needs a miracle divine
To free her from the shame.

She needs someone to care enough
To feed her hungry soul
Someone who won’t charge a fee
To make her body whole.

All that she has ever known
Is loneliness and scorn
Society’s condemned her
Her heart is weak and torn.

The flickering candle of her life
Will blow out very soon
Her little strength is fading
Like the waning of the moon.

With nothing left to live for
Yet no hope for when she dies
She forces her way through the crowds
Ignoring piercing eyes.

I’m just an interruption
Echoes, nagging at her brain
For a second, she turns back
I can’t be failed again.

But a diiferent voice inside her
Urges, No you mustn’t go
This healer may be your last chance
How are you to know?

It may be true that He’s God’s Son
Or a heavenly prophet sent.
So, she turns back to those piercing eyes
And heeds the counsel lent.

She sees Him circled closely round
Jesus of Nazareth
The people absorbing every word
Cherishing each breath.

I’ll never reach Him now, she pants
Besides He won’t heal me.
He raises the children of noblemen
And he makes the blind to see.

But surely, I’m not as important as they
My issue is minor at best
Requesting for healing will only be mocked
I never again will find rest.

As she is struggling fiercely within
Without she fights forward much more
Finally, her weak legs refuse to move on
And she drops, with her face to the floor.

The crowds do not notice, she’s lost in the noise
Silent and helpless, unseen
Her story of life in this moment is told
And she feels her hot pent-up tears stream.

Her eyes a blur, she glances
At the face of whose feet she’s beside
She’s taken aback when she finds it is Him
She watches Him, eyes open wide.

“I’ve reached Him, I’ve reached Him,” she utters in shock
“Maybe to be healed I must
Only reach out, touch the hem of his robe,
And place in Him my simple trust.”

Grasping for any relief she can get
She reaches for Him, crying out
The tip of her finger touches His robe
And washes away all her doubt.

Her strength is returning, the bleeding has stopped
She sits up shocked, Healing that soon?
The candle is steadily burning again
Her sky boasts a shining full moon.

Who is this man?, her heart races in fear
And amazement that she cannot hide
Suddenly, all become silent. She hears
“Who touched me?” from Christ at her side.

He felt that? It can’t be, she thinks, there’s no way
The crowd probably bumped Him, that’s it.
Then He repeats it “Who touched me?” He asks
And she falls at His feet to admit.

“My Lord, please forgive me, but for twelve hard years
I’ve suffered and bled constantly.
Penniless, You were my very last hope
For all I loved abandoned me.”

“I’d lived with the shame and the scorn for so long
The pain was so fierce, my mind reeled.
I thought if I only could reach, touch your clothes
And trust You, then I would be healed.”

His soft knowing eyes show her He has forgiv’n
That He knows of her pure, longing heart
That He knows of the healing He’s laid upon her
And He wants to give her a new start.

“Go your way in peace, my child,
Your faith has made you whole.”
She gives Him a deeply grateful smile
And runs out, new joy in her soul.

She knows she must go and tell others the news
Of the Son of God Most High
Of how He healed her, forgave her soul
And wiped all the tears from her eyes.

 

Accusing Shame

The night is dark around me
All hopes I had are lost
My Lord, my precious Jesus
Is being led up to the cross.

His back is as a fresh-plowed field
Blood, like a river, flows
He stumbles up Mt. Calvary
His pain no respite knows.

I only watch as King of all
Is crowned with cruel thorn
I watch as Mary weeps below
And silently I mourn.

Why could I not stop them?
My Lord is going to die
How can His Father let this happen
And not intervene on high?

The Messiah, long-awaited
Has now reached His bitter end
And I can only watch them
Crucify my dearest Friend.

Suddenly, I hear a voice
Accusing from behind,
“A follower of Jesus, yes
I’m sure, I know his kind.”

“This man beside the fire
Followed Jesus everywhere.
He was a disciple.”
All begin to stare.

“No,” I shout,”it wasn’t me.
You do not understand.
I do not follow Jesus
Nor have I ever met the man.”

The accusations only grow
Twice more, I make my claim
“I do not know this Jesus.
I know nought but of His fame.”

The cock crows, slicing through the night
I flee, in fierce despair
A realization strikes me
I’m the one who put Him there.

He warned me this would happen
That I’d thrice deny Him- thrice!
But, I would not believe Him
Now I pay the awful price.

Oh, the depths of sorrow
The agononizing shame
Weeping, I confess I’ve caused
My Lord His death, His pain.

 

The bride eyes not her garment but her dear Bridegroom’s face; I will not gaze glory but on the King of grace;not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;the Lamb is all the glory;in Emmanuel’s land.

He comes the Bridegroom promised long;go forth with joy to meet Him;and raise the new and  nuptial song;in cheerful strains to greet Him…

 Bride  by Ashley Vitale

So many times I lie awake
Just listening to the night
Thinking of Your love for me
Dreaming of Your light.
On the day that You proposed
You started to kneel down
But, instead of pulling out a ring
You just dropped to the ground.
Stretching both arms wide
You let cruel soldiers nail their cross
To your bleeding hands and feet
While they only stared and mocked.
You climbed a hill called Calvary
To wear a crown of thorns
You hung so marred upon that tree
Enduring hateful scorns.
And though You never said a word
I heard Your heart ask mine
“Beloved, can I ask you?
Do I ever cross your mind?”
“Do you see how much I love you,
See the price I’ll pay for you?
And, will you trust me always
Knowing I will see you through?”
Speechless, I stared like a statue of stone
As Your precious blood flowed like a tide
And all You prayed was for me to say “Yes”
As the wicked crowd screamed, “Crucify!”
“Oh, Lord, I am worthless, unworthy of your grace.
I don’t deserve your love, I confess.
But, I believe,” I whispered, “that you’re suffering for me.
Yes, I know it now. Yes, Lord, yes!”
Tears streaming down my face
I watched You breathe Your final breath
But, I couldn’t understand.
How could all this end in death?
You were laid in a tomb and I thought all was lost
For three days, I wondered why
Then one bright morning, You rose from the grave
Coming from death unto life.
That day I experienced love in its power
Our hearts were forever entwined
And instead of me wearing my grand bridal gown
You glowed in robes of spotless white.
Now, You sit at the Father’s right hand
While I lie here awaiting the sound
Of the trumpets announcing my Bridegroom’s return
And our journey to heaven-Your home.
You’ll carry me over the threshold
‘Til I’m safe on the other side
I’ll look in those eyes filled with love and grace
And rejoice that I am Your Bride.