song, interrupted

In the car yesterday I listened to "Faith Enough", one of my favourite Jars of Clay songs.

I love this song because it reminds me that God meets me in my weakness. That what he wants from me is not self-confident goodness, but for me to admit my poverty and frailty. That when I'm broken I am strong, for my brokenness moves me away from self-reliance and forces me to cry out to him. That even the weakest faith will find in Jesus a strong resting-place.

Of course, I seldom get to hear a song all the way through. Here's how my listening time went yesterday ...

The ice is thin enough for walkin'
The rope is worn enough to climb
My throat is dry enough for talkin'
The world is crumblin' but I know why
The world is crumblin' but I know why

The storm is wild enough for sailing
The bridge is weak enough to cross
This body frail enough for fighting
I'm home enough to know I'm lost
Home enough to know I'm lost

It's just enough to be strong
In the broken places,
in the broken places
It's just enough to be strong
Should the world rely on faith tonight

At which point this song, like all the songs we listen to in the car, was interrupted by a voice from the back seat:

Thomas (4) - Mum, what's this song called?
Jean (39) - "Faith enough."
Thomas - What's that mean?
Jean - Faith means trusting in Jesus. So "faith enough" means...
Thomas - I know, it means enough to be stwong!
Jean - Yes, you're exactly right! Thomas, you're a sweetheart. (Somewhat off the point, I admit, but he was being pretty cute.)
Thomas - Why?
Jean - Because God made you a sweetheart.
Thomas - I love you.
Jean - I love you too, darling.

We now pause to insert a collective "aaaw". And continue with the lyrics:

The land unfit enough for planting
Barren enough to conceive
Poor enough to gain the treasure
Enough a cynic to believe
Enough a cynic to believe

Confused enough to know direction
The sun eclipsed enough to shine
Be still enough to finally tremble
And see enough to know I'm blind
And see enough to know I'm blind

It's just enough to be strong
In the broken places,
in the broken places
It's just enough to be strong
Should the world rely on faith tonight ...

May God open our eyes to our blindness and need of him.

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places" is from Earnest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms - a book which is now on my to read list.