The Story behind the song, "I Belong"

Back around September 2013 God began speaking to my heart about ministering to women at somewhere like the YWCA in Lancaster. I had a vision of singing and sharing my heart and having other women sharing too. I dreamt of leading women closer to their Maker! I had reached out to some contacts at the YWCA of Lancaster though, and it was not seeming to be an open door. I also reached out to another woman and friend regarding this vision but to my disappointment, I did not hear back. I was

sad and disappointed, but God had other plans and He was still working. Flash forward 3 years and here I am leading worship once a month at the Good Samaritan Shelter in Ephrata. It is a Christ-centered homeless shelter for women and children. Everything about the dreams and visions God was placing in my heart have come to pass. It is beautiful. It confirms to me yet again that if you have dreams and visions in your heart it is God who places them there, so pursue them, work at them, and purpose to achieve them to His glory!

And, even beyond that dream coming to pass has been the most recent beautiful dream coming to pass of studio-recording my very own song... Now no full album yet, but it's a start! 

About a month ago now I received an email from my dear friend Lora, who works at the Shelter and was in charge of coordinating the upcoming fundraiser banquet. The email came through while we were at our daughters basketball practice. I only read the first few lines... something about key or keys and I immediately closed the email and prayed. "God, if she is going to ask me to be the key note speaker at the banquet please give me strength and ability..." Only to open the email back up and see something SO much more incredible and thrilling for me... And so much less anxiety provoking, ha ha! She was asking me to write a song specifically for the banquet which would become the background for the video for the banquet. She wanted it to include something about the word keys since this was the word God spoke to her heart to be the theme of the banquet. Although she did not know exactly what that looked like or why that should be the theme at the time, she ran with it. Following that decision, a woman living at the shelter went through a time of feeling completely unlovable, unworthy, and like she had nothing to offer. One of the interns, Hannah, saw a key ring sitting on the table in front of them and in order to drive home the message a couple of the ladies were trying to encourage this woman with about how she is made intricately and designed with purpose and intention and special qualities and beauty unique to her alone Hannah grabbed the keys and began describing very beautifully how every notch and groove in a key is made specifically to fit just the right door and all the pins have to fall just the right way for the door to actually unlock and open. After Hannah found out in the next couple days that Lora had chosen the theme keys for the banquet everyone was blown away at how God was beginning to speak. Lora reached out to Shane, who has graciously been a videographer for the shelter and was helping design the video for this years banquet, and told him all that had been happening. He then brought up the idea of searching for a song to accompany the video and theme. After that, Lora reached out to me. The rest is history! But seriously, I just LOVE this story and how God worked!! Here is a picture of the four of us last night after I had the blessing and privilege of performing the song live for the women and children at the Good Samaritan Shelter...

So back to when I received the email, I began praying and asking God to speak to me, lead me, write this song for these women on my heart... And so I began writing... I wrote a lot of poetry about this concept...the word keys and how we are designed intricately-like a key-with every notch and groove having a design, a purpose and that we fit in God-He is where we belong! (She had not used these exact words, but this is what God began speaking to my heart) 

And then I sat at my piano and as I sat, there was darkness surrounding the keys, but as I looked closer there was a space between the keys and a light shone through... And God spoke the opening song lyrics and melody to my heart: 

I was in a dark place 

A key without a door

'Till the Light broke through 

That Light was You

You shone Your beauty

You shone Your grace

You told me that I have a place where I belong... 

And then my heart began to worship! Not only do the women of the shelter need a place where they feel the belong, but so do I, so do we! We all have times we struggle with knowing where we belong or feeling inadequate, insecure, insufficient and like we don't fit in... But with God, we've been created BY Him and FOR Him! We belong in Him! So I sang the chorus: 

I belong, I belong, I belong, I belong

I belong in You, You are, You are 

My new song

You're the Door that I can open

The place to put my hope in

I belong in You, You are, You are 

My new song 

And then the next verses just flowed... 

With every notch and groove (like a key whose design can only fit just the right pins to unlock the door) 

You prove Your perfect love for me

Such love for me 

And I have found the place, the place where I belong

Where the lock is broken, I am set free (free from feelings of inadequacy, guilt, shame, insecurity, doubts, fears, isolation--free to find peace, joy and hope!)

(Pre Ch, Ch) 

Bridge

I will trust I was made for You,

Made for You

I will trust I was made by You, 

Made by You (repeat)

Like a key that's found its door

My heart is open now

To all You have in store 

(Pre Ch, Ch) 

Maybe someone reading this today is feeling like you've searched and searched for where you belong. We try to fit in at a job place, in a career, in society, in our family, with friends, in a home, at church... But nothing can complete us like Christ can. We belong in Him! He completes us! He fills all the empty spaces that are left in our hearts in this life. Won't you consider making Jesus your Door you enter into and find the peace, joy, security and fulfillment you so long for?! 

Much love, Abi