Page 96 of I'll Be There

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Please, God.

The hymn’s music curled around him, through him, and he heard the words, remembering the hymn he’d picked with Liza.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wand’ring from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

Oh he did have a wandering heart. Too easily he chased after his passions.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Only God’s grace kept him bound to the man he longed to be, clinging to the hope that spurred his wanderings, the hope that he’d someday be the man he promised himself he’d be.

Give her that man. The man you will be.

He heard the voice, thrumming inside him.Yes.

The man he could become by pursuing love. Protecting love. Promising love.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love:

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

God’s man, sealed. Committed, done.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Even if Liza didn’t show up.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above;

Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,

Mount of Thy unchanging love.

He lifted his head, glanced at Justin, who offered him a tug of a smile.

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