Ears to Hear

[Fingerpicked acoustic guitar]
[Verse 1]
[Fast conversational vocal]
There’s a Bible on the shelf by my bed
Looks a little worn from everything I’ve read
Pages folded, verses underlined
Funny how I missed ’em all this time
I knew who built upon the sand
Knew the shepherd left the ninety-nine
Knew the seed was small enough to fit
Inside the center of my hand
I knew every ending by heart
Never thought to ask where I was
Turns out knowing every story
Isn’t always knowing what it does
[Pre-Chorus]
[Half-time]
Maybe I’ve been reading
Like the words were for somebody else
[Chorus]
[Open melodic vocal]
Give me ears to hear
More than ears to listen
Don’t let me walk away
Thinking that I already get it
When You tell a story
Don’t let me miss the mirror
Give me more than ears to listen
Give me ears to hear
[Verse 2]
[Fast conversational vocal]
Then one morning eating breakfast
Same old chair, same old sunrise
Read about a man who bought a field
And I don’t know why but I just cried
Maybe it was never ‘bout the treasure
Maybe it was what I’d settled for
Funny how a story that is two thousand years old
Could somehow know me more
Then the older brother looked familiar
Then the mustard seed looked brave
Then the oil wasn’t just a lantern
It was every prayer I never prayed
[Pre-Chorus]
[Half-time]
Maybe every story
Has been calling me by name
[Chorus]
Give me ears to hear
More than ears to listen
Don’t let me walk away
Thinking that I already get it
When You tell a story
Don’t let me miss the mirror
Give me more than ears to listen
Give me ears to hear
[Bridge]
[Minimal instrumentation]
Maybe You were never hiding
Maybe I just wasn’t ready
Maybe every parable
Has always been an invitation
Not only to find myself inside the story
But to find You
[Final Chorus]
Give me ears to hear
When You’re speaking softly
When the answer costs me something
When You’re asking me to trust
Don’t let me know the stories
Without knowing You
Give me more than ears to listen
Give me ears…
To hear…
Give me ears…
To hear…
[Outro]
Maybe the stories never changed…
Give me ears…
To hear…
[Outro]
Maybe the stories never changed…
Give me ears…
To hear…
[Outro]
Maybe the stories never changed…
Maybe I did.
Maybe I did.
Maybe I did.

Verse 1
I wore a groove into the carpet by my bed
Saying the same prayer every night inside my head
Watching other people talk about the things they’d seen
While heaven felt a thousand miles from me
I kept looking for a fire out on the horizon line
A voice that shook the mountains, something I could not deny
But all I ever seemed to get were moments small and brief
Tiny sparks that disappeared before I’d sleep
Pre-Chorus
I almost missed them
Waiting for the sky to split
While You were planting something
Where I thought nothing could grow
Chorus
It was a mustard seed
Smaller than my fear
Smaller than the questions
That kept ringing in my ears
Just enough to trust
When I couldn’t see the end
Just enough to take one step
And trust You for the next
I wanted all the answers
Before I’d even leave
But You were growing something
From a mustard seed
Verse 2
I buried it beneath the weight of every doubt I had
The fear that nothing good would grow, the fear I’d be let down again
Winter came and covered up the place I’d left it there
And from above it looked like nothing but dead air
But underneath the frozen ground
Roots were reaching deeper down
While I was sure that nothing lived
You were growing something still
Chorus
It was a mustard seed
Smaller than my fear
Smaller than the questions
That kept ringing in my ears
Just enough to trust
When I couldn’t see the end
Just enough to take one step
And trust You for the next
I wanted all the answers
Before I’d even leave
But You were growing something
From a mustard seed
Bridge
A seed disappears before it becomes a tree
Breaks apart before it becomes what it was meant to be
Maybe all this breaking
Is making room for You
Final Chorus
It was a mustard seed
Hidden in the ground
Nobody would notice it
If they were standing all around
Now the branches stretch above me
Birds are singing overhead
I kept asking heaven
For proof that I could see
While You kept reminding me
It starts with a mustard seed
Yeah, it starts with
A mustard seed
Outro
Funny how the smallest things
Can become the ones that stay
Just a mustard seed
Just a mustard seed

Verse 1
I heard Your truth when I was seventeen
Fell on a heart hard as concrete
Took that seed and I let it lie
Didn’t even give it a chance to try
Ran my own road for a lot of years
Chasing my pride and drowning my fears
Looking back now, Lord, I can see
You never stopped sowing seeds in me
Chorus
Sow on
Sow on
Lord, I know I’ve made it hard
Hit rocks, hit thorns, hit a stubborn heart
Still You keep the seed coming
Still You keep the rain falling
Still You keep Your hand reaching
When I keep on running
Sow on
Sow on
Verse 2
Some seeds got tangled in the things I owned
Some got crowded by the life I’d grown
Worries, money, yesterday’s mistakes
Wrapped around every chance I’d take
There were seasons I looked alive
Green leaves hanging from a hollow vine
But You saw deeper than anybody could
You knew there was still some good ground underneath
Chorus
Sow on
Sow on
Lord, I know I’ve made it hard
Hit rocks, hit thorns, hit a stubborn heart
Still You keep the seed coming
Still You keep the rain falling
Still You keep Your hand reaching
When I keep on running
Sow on
Sow on
Bridge
Maybe the miracle wasn’t the harvest
Maybe the miracle was You staying here
Anybody else would’ve walked away
But You kept planting year after year
Final Chorus
Sow on
Sow on
Lord, I know I’ve made it hard
Hit rocks, hit thorns, hit a stubborn heart
Still You keep the seed coming
Still You keep the rain falling
Still You keep Your hand reaching
When I keep on running
Sow on
Sow on

# Looking For Me
Verse 1
I stopped showing up on Friday nights
Started taking roads with no street signs
Said I needed room to figure things out
But I was just drifting farther south
Thought if I kept enough miles between
Who I was and who You wanted me to be
Maybe I could leave the past behind
Maybe I could finally clear my mind
Chorus
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Before I knew that I was lost
Before I could believe
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Through every mile I put between
Who I was and who You see
I was one of a hundred
Just one in a crowd
But You left the ninety-nine behind
And came all the way for me
Verse 2
I thought the dark would hide me well
Thought the distance worked like some kind of spell
But every road I tried to disappear
Only seemed to bring You near
Like love had already made its choice
Calling softly through the noise
The farther that I wandered out
The closer that You came somehow
Chorus
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Before I knew that I was lost
Before I could believe
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Through every mile I put between
Who I was and who You see
I was one of a hundred
Just one in a crowd
But You left the ninety-nine behind
And came all the way for me
Bridge
I wasn't looking for a rescue
Wasn't trying to be found
I was building walls around my heart
Certain they would keep You out
But every road led straight into
The kindness I could not escape
While I was running from You
You were running toward me
While I was running from You
You were running toward me
Final Chorus
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Before I ever turned around
You were already on Your way
You were looking for me
Looking for me
Through every mile I put between
Who I was and who You see
I was one of a hundred
Just one in a crowd
But You left the ninety-nine behind
And came all the way for me
Outro
While I was running from You
You were running toward me
All along
You were looking for me

Verse 1
I grew up burning candles that my mother bought
I recited every lesson that my father taught
I held onto their heavy coats when winter came
I knew the stories and I knew the Holy Name
I sat in the back of the class and I nodded my head
I ate the fruit of the tree because they said it was bread
But the wind is blowing harder now that I am grown
And I’m standing in the midnight on my own
Pre-Chorus
The lamp is flickering, the flame is getting low
And I’m scared because I have nowhere else to go
I’m looking at the Bridegroom coming down the street
And I’m checking my supply, staring at my feet
Chorus
’Cause I can’t light my fire with borrowed oil
I can’t plant my garden in another man’s soil
I need my own supply, every earned drop
Before the Bridegroom comes, before the clock stops
Yeah, you can share your bread, and you can share your coat
But you can’t share the testimony, I gotta know on my own
No, I can’t run on borrowed oil
Verse 2
I knocked upon your door and asked for just a bit
But you looked at me with sadness in the way you sit
You said, “I’d give it if I could, I’d give it all away
But the cost is something only you can pay”
You can’t buy this at the market with a credit card
It’s pressed out of the olive in a garden that is hard
It takes a little bit of suffering, a little bit of prayer
To make the kind of fuel that burns clean in the air
So I’m going to the garden in the middle of the night
I’m staying with the pressing till it gives up light
Pre-Chorus
I’m trading in my apathy, trading in my pride
For a vessel that is burning on the inside
I’m paying the cost I didn’t want to pay
But I need a fire that will never fade away
Chorus
’Cause I can’t light my fire with borrowed oil
I can’t plant my garden in another man’s soil
I need my own supply, every earned drop
Before the Bridegroom comes, before the clock stops
Yeah, you can share your bread, and you can share your coat
But you can’t share the testimony, I gotta know on my own
No, I can’t run on borrowed oil
Bridge
Drop by drop
Line upon line
I gotta make it mine
Yeah, I gotta make it mine
It’s not enough to know someone who knows
I need to know the way the Spirit goes
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn
Outro
Yeah, my lamp is full
My lamp is full
I’m ready

[Verse 1]
I know where every fence post stands
Every field, every acre of land
I know which gate sticks when it rains
And which boards need to be replaced
I’ve been waking up before dawn
Keeping everything moving along
While he was out chasing whatever he chased
And somehow I’m the one who feels replaced
[Pre-Chorus]
Everybody’s laughing
Music through the open door
And I know I should be happy
But I don’t know anymore
[Chorus]
I’ve been here the whole time
Why does it feel like I’m outside?
Watching through a window
At a celebration that should feel like mine
Maybe that’s the problem
Maybe I’ve been counting what I’ve done
Thinking love was something earned
Instead of something freely given
I’ve been here the whole time
But maybe I’ve been missing home
[Verse 2]
I thought faithfulness meant keeping score
Who worked hardest, who gave more
I never said it out loud
But I carried it around
I built my value on being good
On doing everything I should
So when grace showed up for him
It felt like it was leaving me behind
[Bridge]
Then You said,
“Everything I have has always been yours.”
And suddenly the party
Wasn’t about what he received
It was about a father
Getting back a son he’d grieved
And maybe I’ve been standing
Just as far away as he had been
[Final Chorus]
I’ve been here the whole time
But now I see it with different eyes
The door was always open
I was the one standing outside
You never loved me less
When You welcomed him back in
The house got bigger
It didn’t lose a room for me
I’ve been here the whole time
Learning what Your love really means

[Verse 1]
I took the long way everywhere
Thought I was going somewhere
With a pocket full of plans and a head full of pride
Said I didn’t need a map
Didn’t think I’d look back
’Til the road got quiet on a cold November night
I spent my money on mistakes
Traded peace for things that break
Kept pretending I was fine when I wasn’t
Built a life I couldn’t hold
Watched it slip right through my hands
And suddenly the past felt like something
[Pre-Chorus]
I had a speech memorized
For when I finally saw Your face
Every word was an apology
Every line was filled with shame
[Chorus]
But You met me before I knocked
Saw me coming down the block
Like You’d been standing there waiting all along
I thought I’d have to earn my place
Make a case for all my mistakes
But You were already running when I turned toward home
I was ready for a judgment
You were ready with Your arms open
Yeah, You met me before I knocked
[Verse 2]
Funny how the things you chase
Start to lose their shine someday
And the dreams that looked so big can feel so small
I was looking for myself
In a hundred different towns
But I only got more lost with every mile
I thought coming back meant proving
I deserved another chance
I didn’t know that mercy
Had a different kind of plan
[Chorus]
‘Cause You met me before I knocked
Saw me coming down the block
Like You’d been standing there waiting all along
I thought I’d have to earn my place
Make a case for all my mistakes
But You were already running when I turned toward home
I was ready for a judgment
You were ready with Your arms open
Yeah, You met me before I knocked
Yeah, You met me before I knocked
[Bridge]
And maybe I’ve been gone for years
Maybe I’ve got nothing left
Maybe all I’ve got are scars and stories
But You don’t see the miles I’ve run
You just see Your child come home
[Final Chorus]
You met me before I knocked
Before I fixed what I had lost
Before I found the words I thought I’d need
I was halfway through my speech
When You reached out and rescued me
I was ready for conditions
You were handing out forgiveness
Yeah, You met me before I knocked
Yeah, You met me before I knocked
And somehow You still called me family

[Verse 1]
He placed something precious in the palm of my hand
Said, “Use it while I’m gone—I know you understand”
The others started building, but I counted every cost
Till the fear of losing something made me leave it in the box
I told myself that caution was the wiser road
No shattered expectations, no unbearable load
So I wrapped it up in reasons, carried it outside
Dug a little grave and laid the best of me inside
[Pre-Chorus]
I thought He’d be impressed
That nothing had been lost
But you can keep a gift untouched
And still waste what it cost
[Chorus]
So I kept it safe in the ground
Buried my calling beneath my doubt
Afraid I’d lose what He gave to me
So I never let it out
I called hiding “being careful”
I called silence “waiting well”
But He never asked me not to fail
He asked me to be faithful
[Verse 2]
Maybe yours is in a notebook that you never let them read
Maybe mine was every word I swallowed when I should’ve tried to speak
Maybe fear can sound like wisdom when it’s talking in your voice
Saying, “If you never take the chance, you’ll never make the wrong choice”
But the dream stays in the basement, and the song stays on the phone
The seat beside the hurting friend stays empty and alone
We pray for clearer answers while the daylight disappears
Then blame the One who gave the gift for what we did from fear
[Pre-Chorus]
We say, “I knew You’d judge me
If I ever got it wrong”
But maybe what He wanted
Was our trust all along
[Chorus]
So I kept it safe in the ground
Buried my calling beneath my doubt
Afraid I’d lose what He gave to me
So I never let it out
I called hiding “being careful”
I called silence “waiting well”
But He never asked me not to fail
He asked me to be faithful
[Bridge]
Then I heard Him at the doorway
And the dirt was on my hands
I brought back what He gave me
Like that had been the plan
I said, “Master, I was frightened
I knew how great You are”
He said, “Why did knowing who I am
Make you bury who you are?”
Now every excuse is empty
Every alibi falls through
The safest thing I ever did
Was the thing that proved untrue
[Final Chorus]
I kept it safe in the ground
Buried my calling beneath my doubt
Afraid I’d lose what He gave to me
So I never let it out
I called hiding “being careful”
I called silence “waiting well”
But He never asked me not to fail
He asked me to be faithful
[Outro]
If there’s still dirt beneath your nails
And breath inside your lungs
Go uncover what you buried
There is still work to be done
He never asked you not to fail
Or promised it would be painless
He gave you something worth the risk
Now go and be faithful

# Knock At Midnight
Verse 1
I've worn a path across this floor
From my bed to this old door
Said the same prayer a hundred ways
Still waiting for the clouds to break
Everybody says, "Just give it time"
But time feels slow at two a.m.
When the silence is the only thing
That answers back again
Chorus
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
When the whole world says
Give it up and go to sleep
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
Holding on to hope
When hope is hard to keep
I don't know when the door will open
I don't know what You're doing yet
But if You're listening
On the other side
I'll keep knocking
Verse 2
I've asked for healing
I've asked for peace
I've asked for things I thought I needed
And things I couldn't see
Sometimes faith feels like a candle
Burning in the pouring rain
But every time I think it's gone
A spark shows up again
Chorus
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
When the whole world says
Give it up and go to sleep
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
Holding on to hope
When hope is hard to keep
I don't know when the door will open
I don't know what You're doing yet
But if You're listening
On the other side
I'll keep knocking
Bridge
Maybe every prayer I've whispered
Didn't vanish in the dark
Maybe every knock I've ever made
Echoed in Your heart
Maybe faith is just believing
What I cannot see
And showing up tomorrow
With the same old need
Final Chorus
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
Though I haven't seen
The answer that I'm waiting for
I'm still knocking at midnight
Midnight
Certain that Your silence
Doesn't mean You've closed the door
I don't know when the door will open
But I know You're on the other side
So I'll keep knocking
I'll keep knocking
Outro
One more prayer
One more knock
One more prayer
One more knock
Until the door swings open wide

[Verse 1]
I had a five-year plan in a notebook page
Everybody said, “You’re gonna be okay.”
Kept my future folded in my back pocket
Never thought I’d ever change the topic
Checked every box they handed me
Still felt like something was missing underneath
Then one day everything got rearranged
Funny how one moment changes everything
⸻
[Pre-Chorus]
They said,
“Don’t throw your whole life away.”
I said,
“You don’t know what I’ve seen.”
⸻
[Chorus]
You only see what I walked from
You never saw what I found
You only count what I gave up
You never felt what I found
Everybody thinks I’m crazy
Maybe I’d think that too
If all I ever saw…
Was what I walked from
Instead of what I found
⸻
[Verse 2]
Some people quit returning calls
Some said I’d hit the hardest fall
Some were waiting for me to come back around
Like happiness was something I’d misplaced somehow
But every morning when I wake
There’s a peace that nothing else could fake
I would’ve missed it if I’d stayed
Holding onto everything I couldn’t take
⸻
[Pre-Chorus]
They ask,
“Was it really worth it?”
Every single time…
⸻
[Chorus]
You only see what I walked from
You never saw what I found
You only count what I gave up
You never felt what I found
Everybody thinks I’m crazy
Maybe I’d think that too
If all I ever saw…
Was what I walked from
Instead of what I found
⸻
[Bridge]
I didn’t lose my future
I found one.
I didn’t trade down
I traded up.
Sometimes the best things in this life
Don’t make sense
Until you see them
For yourself.
⸻
[Final Chorus]
You only see what I walked from
You never saw what I found
[Final Chorus]
You only see what I walked from
You never saw what I found
You only count what I gave up
You never saw what I found
If you could see it for a second
You’d do the same thing too
‘Cause once you’ve found
Something worth everything…
You don’t spend your life
Counting the cost.
You spend it
Running toward the treasure.

Verse 1
Saw a man sitting outside the grocery store,
Cardboard sign that I’d seen before,
I looked away like I always do,
Told myself there was nothing I could do.
Had a meeting, had a schedule,
Had a hundred things to get through,
Funny how important things can seem
When somebody’s hurting next to you.
Pre-Chorus
I didn’t mean to be cold,
I just didn’t want to slow down.
Chorus
‘Cause love looks different than I thought,
It isn’t always big enough to stop the world,
Sometimes it’s pulling over,
Sometimes it’s getting closer,
Sometimes it’s seeing what everybody missed.
And I’ve been the one left on the side,
And I’ve been the one who walked right by,
Trying to learn what mercy means
On the side of the road.
Verse 2
Last December my car broke down,
Snow coming hard on the edge of town,
Phone was dead, nobody knew,
And honestly, I was scared to death too.
Then a stranger in an old pickup
Rolled his window down and smiled,
Spent an hour in the freezing cold
Just to help a guy he’d never met.
Pre-Chorus
He never asked my name,
Never stayed around for thanks.
Chorus
‘Cause love looks different than I thought,
It isn’t always loud enough to make the news,
Sometimes it’s showing up,
Sometimes it’s giving up
A little piece of what belongs to you.
And I’ve been the one left on the side,
And I’ve been the one who walked right by,
Trying to learn what mercy means
On the side of the road.
Bridge
Maybe heaven isn’t watching
For the people who say the most,
Maybe heaven’s looking closer
At the ones who stop when others won’t.
Maybe neighbors aren’t determined
By the streets we’re living on,
Maybe they’re the ones who see us
When the whole world has moved along.
Final Chorus
‘Cause love looks different than I thought,
It isn’t something that we only talk about,
It’s checking in,
It’s showing up,
It’s sitting down,
It’s picking up
The pieces that somebody dropped.
And someday when I’m left behind,
I hope somebody changes their mind,
And learns what mercy means
On the side of the road.
Outro
We’re all headed somewhere,
We’ve all got somewhere to go,
But the people we’ll become
Are decided on the side of the road.

I said I’d quit a hundred times
In parked cars and midnight prayers
Drew a line out in the sand
Then crossed it like it wasn’t there
People started moving on
I could see it in their eyes
They got tired of hearing promises
That never stayed alive
And honestly
I understood
Pre-Chorus
If I were them
I would’ve left me too
Chorus
They said
“Not him”
“Not now”
“Not ever”
“He’ll never turn it around”
They said
“Give up”
“Move on”
“Whatever”
“He’ll never figure it out”
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
I know you’re not finished
Not yet
Not yet
I know there’s more in him
Everybody else was ready to walk away
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
I know there’s more in him
Everybody else was ready to walk away
But You said
Not yet
Verse 2
I watched people lower expectations
One by one
Started introducing myself
As the things that I’d become
Like maybe failure was my name
Maybe stuck was all I’d be
Maybe everybody saw something
I was too blind to see
Pre-Chorus
But somehow You kept showing up
Where nobody else would be
Chorus
They said
“Not him”
“Not now”
“Not ever”
“He’ll never turn it around”
They said
“Give up”
“Move on”
“Whatever”
“He’ll never figure it out”
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
I know you’re not finished
Not yet
Not yet
I know there’s more in him
Everybody else was ready to walk away
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
I know there’s more in him
Everybody else was ready to walk away
But You said
Not yet
Bridge
One more day
One more chance
One more prayer
One more dance
One more sunrise
One more breath
Everybody saying
“Nothing’s left”
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Final Chorus
They said
“Not him”
“Not now”
“Not ever”
“He’ll never turn it around”
They said
“Give up”
“Move on”
“Whatever”
“He’ll never figure it out”
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
I know you’re not finished
Not yet
Not yet
I know there’s more in him
Everybody else was ready to walk away
Everybody else was ready to call it done
Everybody else was ready to cut me down
But You said
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Not yet
Outro
Everybody else was done
But You said
Not yet

Verse 1
I thought I was doing alright
Everything looked fine from the outside
Had a smile, had a plan
I thought I was doing alright
Everything looked fine from the outside
Had a smile, had a plan
Built it all with my own hands
I thought it would last forever
I thought I’d hold it all together
But I never looked beneath
What was holding up my feet
Chorus
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
Everybody looks strong
When the sky is blue
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
It shows what you’re standing on
It shows what you’re standing on
Verse 2
Some build on money
Some build on fame
Some build on whatever
Makes the pain go away
I built on things
That couldn’t stay
Then the rain came down
And washed it all away
Chorus
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
Everybody looks strong
When the sky is blue
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
It shows what you’re standing on
It shows what you’re standing on
Bridge
Rain came down
Rain came down
Wind blew hard
Wind blew hard
Rain came down
Wind blew hard
What was left?
What was left?
Final Chorus
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
Everybody looks strong
When the sky is blue
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
It shows what you’re standing on
It shows what you’re standing on
The Rock held on
The Rock held on
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
Outro
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth
The storm tells the truth

Verse 1
I was the first one through the door
Back when the room was half this full
Learned every word, knew every song
Tried my best to do it all
Stayed when it wasn’t popular
Showed up when nobody else would
If I’m honest, somewhere along the way
I started thinking that was good
Enough to earn a little more
Then somebody walked in
Five minutes before closing time
Chorus
Same welcome
Same door
Same “I’m glad you’re here”
As before
I came early
They came late
But we both heard
The Father’s name
Same welcome
Same room
Nobody gets
More of You
Verse 2
Their story looked nothing like mine
Different roads, different mistakes
I watched them find in a single night
What took me years to appreciate
And something in me didn’t like it
I wish I could say that I did
But comparison has a funny way
Of turning blessings into lists
Pre-Chorus
Then I heard You say
Chorus
Same welcome
Same door
Same “I’m glad you’re here”
As before
I came early
They came late
But we both heard
The Father’s name
Same welcome
Same room
Nobody gets
More of You
Bridge
No front row
No back row
No VIP for staying longer
No gold stars
No first place
No extra love for working harder
Breakdown
Same welcome
Same welcome
Same welcome
For the first in line
Same welcome
Same welcome
Same welcome
For the last to arrive
Same welcome
Same welcome
Same welcome
For the first in line
Same welcome
Same welcome
Same welcome
For the last to arrive
Final Chorus
Same welcome
Same door
Same “I’m glad you’re here”
As before
I came early
They came late
But we both heard
The Father’s name
Same welcome
Same room
Nobody gets
More of You
Same welcome
Same welcome
Same welcome
That’s what love would do
Outro
For the first
For the last
Same welcome
For the old
For the new
Same welcome
For the saint
For the runaway
Same welcome

I got an invite in my inbox
Thought it must’ve been a mistake
Said, “You’re wanted at the table”
After every choice I’d made
I was late and I was careless
Didn’t think they’d save a seat
But the door was standing open
And they welcomed me for free
Pre-Chorus
They didn’t ask me where I’d been
Didn’t make me earn my way back in
Chorus
Everybody got invited
But not everybody stayed the same
Some of us walked through the doorway
Still holding on to yesterday
I could sit beside the family
I could learn to know Your name
But the gift was never just the entrance
The gift was who I’d be when I changed
Verse 2
There was mercy in the hallway
There was kindness in the room
People laying down old burdens
Like they didn’t need them anymore
But I kept mine in my pocket
Told myself I liked them there
Said I wanted all the blessings
Without letting go of what I carried
Pre-Chorus
You never forced my hands to move
But You showed me what love could do
Chorus
Everybody got invited
But not everybody stayed the same
Some of us walked through the doorway
Still holding on to yesterday
I could sit beside the family
I could learn to know Your name
But the gift was never just the entrance
The gift was who I’d be when I changed
Bridge
The seat was free
The seat was free
But surrender costs me everything
The door was wide
The door was wide
But I had to leave my pride outside
The seat was free
The seat was free
But You wanted more than company
You gave me grace
To become somebody new
Final Chorus
Everybody got invited
That’s the miracle they miss
That a King would call a stranger
And still prepare a place like this
Now I’m standing in the promise
Not because of what I’ve done
I was given something better
Than a chair beside the ones I love
You didn’t only want me present
You wanted me to be transformed
Outro
I got an invite in my inbox
Thought it must’ve been a mistake
Now every morning when I wake up
I’m getting dressed for the day

[Verse 1]
I kept my future on a shelf
Right beside the things I planned to do
Every year I'd dust it off and promise
"This time I'll finally follow through"
But the shelf got crowded over time
With all the chances that I saved
Funny how the safest place to hide a dream
Can slowly turn into its grave
[Chorus]
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
Buried, buried
Said, "Maybe next year"
Thought I was keeping them safe
Keeping them somewhere they couldn't disappear
But every spring I tell myself
The same thing I've said for years
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
[Verse 2]
I watched the years stack up like boxes
In the corner of a room
Full of plans I swore I'd get to
After one more perfect year
I kept waiting for confidence
To finally take my hand
But courage never comes from waiting
It shows up when you stand
And I never stood
[Chorus]
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
Buried, buried
Said, "Maybe next year"
Thought I was keeping them safe
Keeping them somewhere they couldn't disappear
But every spring I tell myself
The same thing I've said for years
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
[Bridge]
Maybe failure isn't fatal
Maybe fear's the heavier chain
'Cause nothing grows beneath the dirt
No matter how you guard the grain
Maybe the gifts You gave me
Were never meant to stay concealed
Maybe I knew that all along
[Final Chorus]
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
Buried, buried
Year after year after year
Thought I was keeping them safe
Thought I was being sincere
Now every time I walk outside
I know exactly where they are
Buried, buried
My dreams in the backyard of fear
[Outro]
And every spring I tell myself
Maybe next year