On the way to visit someone in the hospital, I was listening to Carrie Newcomer’s new CD, The Beautiful Not Yet. I must admit I am already a Carrie Newcomer fan. Her style of singing and the manner in which she uses words always lifts up my soul. Each of her songs is more than a delightful tune with which to hum along—her songs portray the depths of spirituality, always inviting the listener to join her as she sings about everyday life occurrences and reflect on God’s touch throughout the journey.
Yet there were two songs on this album that especially touched my heart, became my favorites, and gave me the feeling that the spirit of God was ministering only to me, offering me hope and help during one of the most difficult times I have ever endured.
This summer my younger brother passed away after a long fight with cancer. The last three weeks of his life were difficult and unsettling to watch, as he declined in ability and function. Eventually, he passed away quite peacefully. But even my hospice training and experience as a hospice chaplain didn’t prepare me for my heart’s pain as I saw my brother struggle for breath. My family and I couldn’t see how we were going to let him go and live life without him.
The first song, “You Can Do This Hard Thing,” brought forth in me the image of myself as a little girl trying to understanding how to add many columns of numbers. My mom would say, “You can do this hard thing.” The other verses continue the story of the many difficult times a young person faces. At each crossroad, the parent affirms: “You can do this hard thing. You can do this hard thing. It’s not easy, I know, but I believe that it’s so. You can do this hard thing.”
As I listened I felt the Spirit whispering to me like my mom once did, “You can do this hard thing.” I kept sensing, while I listened to that song over and over again, that I had deep within me everything I needed to go through this terrible, dark time. Somehow as I stepped into the pain, grief, and sorrow, I felt strong, confident, and secure.
Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, but the words to this song kept me going. No matter how hard it was and is to say goodbye, I did do this very hard thing.
“Help in Hard Times” was the other song from the album that deeply resonated with me. This dark time in my life reminded me that I continue to keep learning how to walk with grace. Life goes on and continues, with good times and bad. As Newcomer sings, “Sometimes there is no reason, the moon waxes and wanes, It was the 100-year flood and you were in the way. Some things we find in daylight and we’re grateful to know. Some things we only learned where we did not want to go.”
Carrie Newcomer’s songs on this album offered me more than just a reminder that life continues to offer help and hope for the hard things we face. Her ministry through The Beautiful Not Yet gave me a sense of securitythat there is always help in any difficult time.
The album has 12 songs, of course: two of them spoke to my condition during this difficult junction in my life. The other ten speak to other conditions that life presents. I am sure you will find at least one of them that will speak to yours.
~Annie Glen
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