Amazing Space

When giving space for folks to feel God's helpful saving Grace,
We drop the ropes we used to lower them into that place;
When we cut holes in ceiling tiles to lower people down,
We then surrender management as they have bottom found.

The bottom of predicament, is lowest we can go –
A scary time, revealing what we do not want to know;
Our friends and kin back off and leave us standing face to face
With us – a mess we realize is “us in need of Grace ”.

We see the words apply to us – the “wretch” we see is “me”–
And we have no excuses for the mirrored mess we see;
All hope of our redemption by the work of our own hand
Has gone from us, with all the folks who've left us where we stand.

A scary time it is for us, the stakes so high for all –
For spouses, kids, employers, in whose eyes we now are small;
For friends, and fellow citizens who live upon our street,
For people of the world whose lives we're destined still to meet.

It's like when learning how to swim – our face wet, now it's time
To see if water holds us up above surrounding brine;
We take a breath, wait longest pause then slide across the top –
We think, “I'll sink”, quite sure of it, then all such thinking stops.

For we don't sink, we float – 'twas true, despite contrary thought –
The water holds us up, it always did, now hope we've got;
We wait some more, eyes tightly closed, stretched on the surface there,
Till we stand up, clear face once more, breathe deep new freedom’s air –

We're different then, from that time forth – as we in life move on;
This biggest-little step we took helped us – now truth is found
That water holds a person up if we just will be still,
And let it do its work for us, so limbs can move at will.

No more must we in panic thrash around to stay on top
Of water's surface, it will do that if we just will stop
And feel it holding us afloat, no need to duplicate
The work the water does for us, despite our blind estate.

When we help folks to swim that is their biggest-little step;
Once face will go into the water, they must courage get
To lie face-down upon the water – once is all it takes –
So they can feel the truth – life works – we're held afloat by Grace.

We take them to the brink of choice, we can't let go for them;
This chance they face, while filled with fear – they face their great ‘Amen’–
But once they take that the biggest-little step in danger’s place
They feel the joy arise in them, then sing ‘Amazing Grace’.

For each of us there is a time, and place, and circumstance,
When we face life and death – and choice (perhaps with backward glance);
When stakes are high, we must move forward into life because
No going back's available, yet at the brink we pause.

Then suddenly we hear the ropes that lower’d us to His feet
Drop quietly around us, cutting way of our retreat;
He says to us, “Stand, take your mat, go home, take ropes as well,
For some day you may lower someone else down here as well”.

It is a long time since I took that biggest-little step;
It is a moment in my life I will not soon forget;
But in between that day and this there's been a lot of times
I've held my breath and hoped – then life has brought that step to mind.

Oh Freedom! when I walk away, with burdens left behind;
Relief unto my soul that I can live this second time –
Oh Father, I give praise to You for building into life
Amazing Grace – restoring hope for us amidst our strife.

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