“I Have Been There” by Mark Schultz
In a room without a view, a new mother smiles and holds
The tiny fingers of her brand new baby girl.
Her husband takes her by the hand, so unsure about the future
Have no money can they make it in this world?
And they pray, Lord all we have to give is love
Then they heard a gentle voice like an echo from above,
I have been there. I know what fear is all about.
Yes, I have been there and I’m standing with you now.
I have been there
And I came to build the bridge oh so this road could lead you home.
Oh I have been there.
He’s been a pastor twenty years
But tonight he sits alone and broken hearted in the corner of the church
He tried to change a fallen world
With his words and with his wisdom but it seems like it is only getting worse
And he cries, Oh Lord I just don’t understand
Then he felt the hand of grace, and he heard a voice that said
I have been there, I know what pain is all about
Yes I have been there, and I’m standing with you now
I have been there, and I came to build a bridge
Oh so this road could lead you home
Oh I have been there.
An older man up on a hill
Holding flowers but he can’t hold back the tears.
Oh he has come to say goodbye.
He thinks about the life she lived,
Thinks about how hard it’s been to live without her
Sixty years right by his side
And he cries, oh Lord I loved her till the end
And he heard a gentle voice say you’ll see her once again
I have been there
I know what sorrow’s all about
Yes I have been there and I’m standing with you now
I have been there, and I came to build a bridge
Oh so this road could lead her home, the road could lead her home
Oh I have been there, You know I overcame the cross, yes I have been there
So her life would not be lost
Oh I have been there, and I came to build
A bridge so this road could lead you home
The road could lead you home
Oh I have been there
Yes I have been there
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Mark Mitchell Schultz
Dear God, I haven’t done two of these prayer journals in one day in a long time, but today seemed like a good day.
In 2005, I was unemployed for about six months. One of the things I did back then was make a CD of songs that comforted me. Several years later, since CDs are much of a thing anymore, I made a playlist with those songs and saved them to my iTunes. I came across that playlist today. Coincidence? Maybe not. It feels like something the Holy Spirit led me to. The songs have been great and brought back some memories. Here’s a list of the songs, in order:
- “Staring at a Bird” by The Waiting
- “One Hundred Three” by Antioch Community Church
- “Forever” by Chris Tomlin
- “In the Light” by dc Talk
- “A Simple Prayer” by Gideon
- “Sweet Jesus” by Gary Chapman
- “Evidence of God” by Geoff Moore and the Distance
- “I Have Been There” by Mark Schultz
- “Let it Rain” by Michael W. Smith
- “Lord (I Don’t Know)” by Newsboys
- “Sometimes He Calms the Storm” by Scott Krippayne
- “Magnificent Obsession” by Steven Curtis Chapman
- “Praise Song” by Third Day
- “William and Maggie” by Charlie Peacock
- “Oh Lord Your Love” by Caedmon’s Call
All of these songs are a comfort to me. They are a touchstone to a time when I was very sad, scared, down, and even a little depressed. I’m grateful for this list.
With all of that said, “I Have Been There” by Mark Schultz is the one that brought tears to my eyes. There is nothing I can experience you haven’t experienced. I wish I could find it, but there was something fictional I heard someone read about 35 years ago that still sticks in my brain. I’m sure the person who wrote it would be flattered that it made that much of an impression on someone. In this case, it was people lining up to say what they thought you should have to experience, as God, to understand us better. These are me paraphrasing some of the things. It’s been a long time, and I only heard it once, but it was something to the effect of:
- One person said that God should have to be poor so he can understand what it’s like to struggle without anything.
- One person said that God should have to have to endure scandal in his family so he would understand what it’s like to be gossiped about and rejected.
- One person said he should have to know what it’s like to be rejected for his nationality and be a foreigner.
- One person said that God should have to lose his son and watch him die a terrible death.
The list went on and on, ultimately ending with that God should have to die to know what it’s like to fear death. Then, one by one, the people walked away because they realized you did all these things through Jesus.
So as I sit here now, feeling rejected by some, there is nothing I can experience you haven’t experienced. Like the song from Mark Schultz says, “[You] have been there.” As I stopped and listened to this song closely, playing it back a second time, I teared up. I felt you comforting me, Holy Spirit. You have been there. You know what I’m going through right now, and you have been there.
Father, I’m sorry for the times I have been a source for your sorrow. I am sorry I have caused you to be there. Thank you for comforting me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being a God who left no stone unturned so that you might know everything about me, including what it’s like to be me.
I gratefully pray all of this as your child,
Amen
Emails to God 