A Story that Begins with an Ending
Endings can be exciting. They can make way for new beginnings, and mark life-changing moments. Like the taste of freedom on your very last day of school, the promise of longer days as Winter comes to a close, or the relief as a long wait finally ends.
But endings can also be life-shattering.
That’s the backdrop to my newest release Chapters, which launched on Friday. Thanks to pertinent music and lyrics from Andy Baker and Dave Wheeler, if you’re facing a big change (whether scary or exciting) then Chapters is full of encouragement for you.
The Story Behind the Song
as one musical ensemble parted ways, another was brought together by their legacy
This new song is a really special one to me. When Dave Wheeler first showed me his initial ideas, I was moved by its poignant lyrics. He’d been among the audience during the last show of one of his favourite bands, and witnessed the dynamic of a long-running group doing what they loved for the last time. That event first inspired the song – but as it took shape, thanks to beautiful edits from Andy Baker, it became something with wide-reaching relevance for people going through the most heart-wrenching experiences imaginable.
I’m watching a friend go through horrendous heartbreak and turmoil right now, as she journeys through marriage breakdown. It’s a transition no one should have to face. But God is with her. He knew that when I showed her Chapters for the first time (not yet named at that stage – it was only later, and with her help, that the title Chapters was chosen), it would be exactly the reassurance she needed to hear from Him.
Whether it’s something life-shattering like divorce, a life-limiting diagnosis, bereavement, or just a scary challenge like leaving a job or a grown-up child leaving home, we all face endings in life – and actually, can I suggest we need them? You can’t step into a new beginning without an old season coming to an end.
As I sing the words of this song over those situations, I know that some lyrics will bring comfort, while others will seem like an impossibility. Lyrics like: “we’ll shake off bitterness, enjoy our time together and reminisce” might seem depressingly far away from your reality right now. I hope you’ll find hope in them though, that your life free of bitterness and anger – however justified – will bring you powerful freedom and joy that no circumstance will be able to remove.
Joy is a choice, it’s a gift designed to get you through these seasons. Holding onto pain and your right to vindication will not bring you out of this chapter and into the new. It’s like choosing to keep your wounds open and visible, instead of treating them, covering them and healing.
My friend is doing an amazing job of choosing joy while she wrestles with the pain and the relentless waves of challenges that single parenting brings. This song is for everyone experiencing endings, wherever you are on that journey, and I pray it’s a blessing.
I just want to say a big thank you to co-writers Dave Wheeler and Andy Baker, and producer Tom Auton – you’ve created a powerful piece which is up to your usual standard of gorgeousness.
