Long ago I wandered freely
through the dark and lonely night
I went where’er I chose
proclaiming it to be my right
What it was You saw inside me
I will never understand
there I was so crazy, thrashing
dying there in that quicksand
But You quickly ran up to me
and You pulled me from that fight
and I’m all convinced You saved me
on that long and lonesome night
I was wild until You claimed me
burnt Your name upon my side
and began the work to tame me
teach me to with You abide
This weight You placed upon my back
these reins that hem me in
this bit that keeps my mouth contained
this whip, sometimes it breaks the skin
I know how I am formed and
what wild blood still runs beneath
and I remember wounds well-earned
by evil thought and evil deed
Oh I thank You for these traces
and I thank You for this load
I’ve seen worse ways to reach the end
and much more horrendous roads
And those roads they still do call me
as I yearn for dark, old trails
tormented forests that I know are
full of all my dark, old fails
So I thank You for these traces
and this bit that keeps me true
for the whip that cuts so deeply
when I try wandering anew
There is joy in this full weight
that pulls so hard upon my back
even joy in the long hill-climbs
that build me up where I do lack
For I know I tire so quickly
and I know the road is long
but as long as You stay with me
soon we’ll sing a victory song
Time and time again I’ve shown
that I do need a load to bear
for I’ve bolted and gone wild at
the merest trembling in the air
Oh I rail against these traces
and I rail against this weight
and I grumble as we stand here
why You can’t leave me to my fate
But You formed me and You know me
planned e’en these stripes upon my back
and You measured out exactly the
weight that’s needed in my pack
At times I wish I could run freely
as I ran in years gone by
freely ran I hither thither
freely bought into the lie
Here I raced death and destruction
there I ran from pain and grief
often met up with the devil
that old well and beaten thief
Now I run with truer freedom
that I’ve never before known
though loaded down and tightly framed
my eyes light up at worlds unknown
As I look around, about me
at the sea of grim, sad faces
it fills my heart with awe and wonder
that You chose me to put through paces
Still sometimes our trip together
seems so boring and so slow
then come the times You urge me faster
faster than my steps can go
As You guide me through this journey
I’m so very, very glad
that the rider up behind me
is my ever-lovin’ Dad.
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