Testimony

 

At An Early Age

I don’t remember the day
Or even what you heard me say
But I know I came to believe
At an early age

With young eyes
I raised my hand
Believed that Jesus died
For my sin

I could not tell you why
I would not have known the when or where
But now I know
That faith like a child will sprout

At an early age
Time stood still
Life was small
When I was weak

In innocence
I did speak
And to innocence
I became free

At an early age
I did say
That I believed
Jesus saved me

-Zach

In Childhood

Sunlight falls through clouds
Sunlight falls on me
In childhood I would
Shield my eyes
And think it how to see

In the garden we are dirty
In the sandbox we are building
Time shows we are weary
And in desperate need of hearing

This was me in childhood
So ignorant and empty
I was building sandcastles
And fortifying playthings
All this time not knowing where
To turn my heart’s beliefs

In the night I toss and turn
Knowing that I’m sinking
This was me in childhood and I
Still do reap this seed

In childhood I would shield my eyes
And think it how to see
This was me in childhood and I
Did not know that I believed

-Zach

I Believed

There are times we do not see
Even who we are underneath
And I had a time of being blind
But I believed

Youth tugged at me
And through smaller eyes, I could not see
But through the growing pains
I found a rope tied to my feet, pulling me

So I followed it

There is a rope around my feet
And I would not cut it for the life of me
For it tripped me up and brought me my destiny

This isn’t like pulling teeth
I try to run but I find the rope has led me
And I find that I believed
And those around me
I never found tripping

So I followed them

Those around me helped me to my feet
I learned to walk
I learned to run
And with a rope around me
I believed
And let it lead

-Zach

Christ Came Down

From the darkness before time
I was known in your eyes
And I was held in your mind

Before I was ever born
A path was paved for me
A child who was weak

From the first of all my days
You can see the last and in between
And those years before my time
You knew I would believe
Christ came down

Being helpless so it seems
I cannot stand on my two feet
Without you seeing me
As you have already seen
Christ come down

-Zach

To Rescue Me

Lowly, I wait
In want of a touch
From your eyes

Knowing the good
Seeing, breathing, dreading
The war inside

Steal it and run quickly
Hide amidst the trees
Become a shadow
Dark, looming, evil
Capturing prey
Succumbing so completely
Nothing will escape
For your rule will be deep
Power, yours to keep

For when nobody will know
How will you die?
This is now your new life
A secret, hid inside

But I know it isn’t right
This war inside, it tells me why
But I am choking – to come alive
In brief moments I can slip away
Those times are the honest me
Hear me cry it, hear me scream

Oh, God, please come to rescue me

-Zach

He Died

I do not do what I would choose
If asked when at my best
I do what I would not want to do
But I’m fighting to get free

I am a slave to what I see
Forever, or so it seems

This is bitter work
Trying to overcome
The dark in me
Why was it so hard to see
That this is why he bleeds

After this death I’ve seen
Bared it’s broken teeth
I know it was not truly me
Who did these wicked things

I am a slave to what I see
Forever, or so it seems

This is bitter work
Finally arriving
Where I know I’ll only win
With bruises on my knees
This is why he bleeds

Fight back against
The dark within
Though it always seems to win
Though through failures, all I see
This is where the blood comes from
And this is why he bleeds

But he died
And still, I fight

But with new life
I would someday find
The mountains become small
Because this grace has covered it all

The blood of the savior
Sent by the father
Drowns our sin
Cleanses the outside
And within
He died

-Zach

He Rose

Breathe in
Exhale
As the wind repeats
This grass is the green
We’ve heard so much about
For we are on the other side
Knowing of the sunrise

He rose from the ground
And light spills out
Life comes up
And darkness dies
And we can live it out

Twist your wrist
Lift your eyes
See the grass is green
Bones are light with this new life
And I feel freedom now

Feel it shed away
The old dying skin
The claws of sin
And of the war within
They are dead, shout it out

Freedom comes at last
It’s true, every morning
But something deep within
Tells me pain won’t rise again
Because there is power against darkness
And light covering the hidden
The secret is destroyed
Because the son has risen

He rose up to rescue
And all these days not knowing
That victory can come
I see it now and live it out
The war inside is turning
And I stand in victory
For God has come to rescue me

-Zach

That I Might

This is a journey
So I set out to find my way
Once I had left home
I was so on my own
I had the smallest glimpse
Of who I could be
But the map I had was words
I hadn’t yet learned to read
So I wrote my own
I stayed in school
And studied who I used to be
Thinking that I might have the strength in me
To become who I longed to be
With only just a glimpse of the dream

I was alone in my own might
A face on a bench drowned out by night
And my home of company
Seldom though it was to me
When it came I ran so free
To hope of light known to be
The help to run this race

I was alone and I needed
I needed a face
I needed a face for me
And yours, through others
Surprised me

My gut took a beating
Being inside this unknown body
An island that didn’t choose to be
Was I an oasis in the making?

Soon my own identity
A face eagerly given
Feeling home so frequently
Brought tears and restoration
Joy and suffocation

That I might have wisdom
My energy was defficient
I would lean no more on my might
But only what God has given

– – –

There was a flower
Small and sweet
Charming through it’s innocence
Drawing friends’ forgiveness
And symbolizing witness
To all the growing pains
Of this trail of the journey

Candlelight reveals
The warming hearts affections
Lost with direction
A rope leading, reappearing
With quivering lip, I set my grip
And let my feet be lifted
That I might be lifted

-Zach

Be Faithful

One small step
Out into the breeze
I was learning to follow my own rope
Going for my branch of the narrow road

When I followed
That voice inside
Wanting me to tug the rope
Into the brush
I found a little trail
Built for me to follow
And I found the meaning of me
To be following the lead
And be faithful

When I took the hand
Of a girl from my dreams
I vowed to be faithful
Now we will follow
Her rope, now intertwined with mine
And when we are faithful
I will lead her down the trail
Following our rope
On our narrow road

With stinging eyes
From windy trials
I know I can lean
On the one in the lead
This rope will still bring me
The end I need
When it hurts or looks wrong
I know this road
Will be faithful

-Zach

And In The End

I have scars
From the thorns
They dig so deep
But I will speak

I will tell them to stand down
And I will stand up tall
I will take the treasures in my care
And lead them as far as I can
Until I cannot stand

And in the end
I know the brokenness will end
The ground will turn to white
Be washed down
Become bright

There will be scars
And dreams left far
That claim to promise things
But I will speak

I will tell them to stand down
And I will stand up tall
I will take the treasures in my care
And lead them as far as I can
Until I cannot stand

And in the end
I will see your face
I will sing your praise
In faith I will sleep
And tears I will not weep

-Zach

I Hope

Man has killed me
The God-man healed me

My life is not here
I won’t be lonely
The dust won’t own me

You have lived in fear
Take it from me
Jesus will not be the only

One that lives again
After the grave
After the pain
He has paved the way
Now death, ’tis a scratch
On my body

In fact, Christ has been raised
The first of the sleepers to wake
Eat and drink
For tomorrow we die and live again

I am a seed
I am a seed
So plant me

Trust now, come with me
Give up the fight
I hope you see that this is the light

You are really a seed
So be sure that you have life inside
By trusting Christ
This is the life

I am a seed
So plant me

-Zach

To Finish Well

At an early age
In childhood, I believed
Christ came down to rescue me
He died, he rose
That I might be faithful
And in the end
I hope to finish well

Will you stay by my side
Until I die
Will you be proud of me
And see me finish well

And when they gather around me
To cry and remember the real me
I hope there is much to say
And I hope my line
Is faithful to God through time
And maybe they’ll say
He was the one to follow
He was the one who lived it out
He was the one who showed me how
To finish well

And when he gathers around me
Scars in his hands, he calls my name
He says there is much to see
That I will watch my line
Be faithful to him through time
Oh how I long for him to say
I was one who followed
And I was one who lived it out
And I was one who clung to him
To finish well

-Zach