A couple of days ago my mom lent me Steven Curtis Chapman's new CD, Beauty Will Rise. It's the first album he's written after the tragic death of his young daughter a year and a half ago.

As we approach the six month mark of Zachary's home-going, my heart has just been aching. I actually had to take my lunch break at work the other day in my car so I could just cry it out because I couldn't function. And, as I sat in my car, hoping no one I knew would walk by, I listened to the CD, and I was deeply moved by his honest lyrics and willingness to proclaim God's faithfulness through incredible heartache. I sat there with big tears in my eyes thinking, "I guess I'm not that crazy after all...someone else feels this way, too." And, more importantly, it served to anchor my heart in the hope of God's promises and left me with a deep longing for heaven as home. I think everyone should go buy the CD or download it on iTunes, but here are the lyrics to just one of the songs that really hit me:

See

Right now all I can taste are bitter tears

Right now all I can see are clouds of sorrow

From the other side of all this pain

Is that you I hear?

Laughing loud and calling out to me?

Saying, 'See, it's everything you said

that it would be

And even better than you would believe

And I'm counting down the days

until you're here with me

And finally, you'll see'

Right now all I can say is, 'Lord how long?'

Before You come and take away this aching?

This night of weeping seems to have no end

But when the morning light breaks through

We'll open up our eyes and we will see

It's everything He said that it would be

And even better than we would believe

And He's counting down the days 'til He says,

'Come with Me' and finally, we'll see