This Sunday my sister sang in church. I wasn’t there sadly. That’s the one thing I miss the most about being away from my sisters. We used to sing in church together a lot. Anyway, her daughter taped it, and my sister posted it on Facebook. I had forgotten about this song, but once I listened to the whole thing through I was in tears.
This song has such a powerful message. Our human flesh shies away from troubles, but it’s in the midst of hard times that we usually find the sweetest fellowship with the Lord.
It also reminds me of when I was a young twenty-something. I told the Lord that I wanted to be closer to him even if it meant giving up my fiancé. I assumed it this happened it would be through death. Instead, my fiancé broke off our engagement, and the pain of rejection was so much more painful than grieving his death would have been. And yet…God did for me what I had asked. I drew closer to Him.
Whatever It Takes
Lanny Wolfe
There’s a voice calling me
From an old rugged tree
And He whispers draw closer to Me
Leave this world far behind
There are new heights to climb
And a new place in Me you will find
(chorus)
For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
For whatever it takes to be more like You
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
Take the dearest things to me
If that’s how it must be
To draw me closer to Thee
Let the disappointments come
Lonely days without the sun
If through sorrow more like You I’ll become
Take my houses, my lands,
change my dreams, change my plans
for I’m placing my whole life in Your hands
and if you call me today…
to some land far away
Lord I’ll go, and Your will I’ll obey.
(bridge)
I’ll trade sunshine for rain
Comfort for pain
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
For whatever it takes for my will to break
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
This is not my sister – just a version of the song I enjoyed on YouTube.
Intentional Simplicity 
Oh…my.
That just made my day, week and month, Jennifer.
It’s what I’m personally striving to do, right now, in my life–to let go and give to God, so that my will crumbles and becomes His.
That song made me cry with joy. Never heard that song before and it was…lovely.
My kids need to see this….
Sharing. Sharing. Sharing.
God Bless.
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I’m glad you enjoyed this. I have not been able to get this song out of my head since Sunday. It just keeps convicting me over and over again that I need to surrender everything to God.
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This has become a champion song in my life as my husband and I have traveled and moved across the country this past year or so and as over the 21 years of marriage we had to just go to Him, time and time again and again and say, “yep, whatever YOU are asking – no matter how hard it is – no matter what we have to leave behind – YOU are most important and we WILL follow YOU.”
He has not disappointed :).
I sing this song at each new church we are in and have seen lives touched. To God be the glory!
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So beautiful this song – one of my favs…..and just FYI for fellow readers – that isn’t me singing in the YouTube :).
I love this song and I feel that every step I have taken in my spiritual life from the time I was young ’til now is because God wanted me closer to HIM! Not always easy the steps but He knew…..
Never gets old the message of that song!
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The message never stops convicting either.
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I’ve always loved that song. Your sister has a beautiful voice. It must have been fun to sing with your sisters. Thanks for sharing this. xxx ~ Nancy
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That’s actually not my sister, but this lady does have a beautiful voice.
We did have a lot of fun singing together.
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And her sister has a great voice 😉 K, I’m being facetious. For me, singing is about getting the WORDS across.
I miss singing with my sisters 🙂
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