Never Mine

Today was Guitar Day. ♪♫♪♫

As some of you may know, I recently became the proud owner a cute little electro-acoustic guitar.

(isn't she pretty?)

I wouldn't call myself an experienced guitarist. I know just enough to entertain myself and, on rare occasions, others too. There was a time when I used to practice every day and had become pretty good, but those days are long gone I'm afraid!

So anyway, today I thought I'd give those rusty fingers a bit of a workout and tried to learn a new song.

The song I picked is by Audrey Assad "Everything is yours". It's not new but came up a lot in my iPod shuffle this week. After a bit of Google search I managed to find a decent tab and got stuck in. As I played it (numerous times before I could get it sorta right) I was struck, afresh, by the lyrics at the end of the chorus:

"If everything is yours
Everything is yours.
If everything is yours,
I'm letting it go,
Oh, it was never mine to hold."

Never mine to hold. Those words have been swirling around in my head all day.

The songs sings of times when things are well and we feel close to God (When everything around is bursting into life, and I don't have to strain to hear the beat of your heart...), when things get tough and the future seems less certain (When the skies are threatening to thunder and rain, and I am overcome by fears that I can't see...) and ends with a reminder of God's power, sovereignty and mercy (Who could command the stars to sing? or hold the raging seas from breaking through the doors, and tend the fragile roses with the very same hands?). 

Then all throughout the song you have this chorus, which seems to be a humbling reminder that whatever happens, in whatever season of life we find ourselves, God is still the giver and owner of all things--therefore, I should be ready to let go of any of those good things (dreams, hopes, relationships, stuff etc) he has given me, simply because they were never mine in the first place.

This is my own interpretation. Have you despaired or doubted God's goodness when you've "lost" something you held dear? I often have.

Let me know your thoughts.

-S

[Ps. here's a Spotify link to the song]