Story Behind The Song

It was Sunday evening, and after a stimulating day filled with praise and worship, we had settled into bed for a refreshing night's rest. As we were drifting off to sleep, a vigorous banging on our apartment door rudely awoke us. Not knowing what to expect, I hurriedly slipped on my clothes and went to investigate. I had barely opened the door when the woman from the apartment across the hall almost fell into my arms. "You've got to help me!" she gasped. "John's drunk! He's gone crazy - he's going to kill me!" Anna was awake now, and stood at my side as the distraught woman proceeded to relate the horror of a violent domestic dispute from which she had just escaped. It seemed incredible. Though we only knew him as the neighbor-next-door, John had always appeared so congenial whenever we met him in the hall, and he had always been courteous to the children. We sat the distraught woman down, and, as Anna went to prepare a soothing cup of tea, Nancy poured out the sorrow of her heart to us. It took almost an hour before she settled down and was able to take a few deep breaths. It was obvious that she could not return to her apartment, so we offered her a place on our couch for the rest of the night. A few days later, we found a plain piece of paper in our mailbox. It was folded roughly in half, and as we opened it expectantly, we read a roughly scrawled "thank-you" on the inside - signed Nancy. Over the next few weeks John was still congenial though somewhat rueful whenever we met, but the scenario gave rise to this song with special emphasis in the last verse.

Lyrics

Listen as the Father so commends His love toward us
even while we are entangled in our sin
Saying "I will send a Savior who will break the chains of bondage
and will free you from this prison you've been in
He shall let you drink from the rivers in the desert - of His kingdom
there shall be no end
You will never find it needful to be lonely or afraid for He shall
ever be your Counselor and Friend

Listen to the cry coming from the Father's heart listen to
the cry of every man
Listen to the pain and listen to the grieving that we have strayed
so far from His plan
Listen to the broken hearts of those all around you - listen to the
sorrow and the pain
Come with repentant hearts so that with joy we might come into
His courts once again

Listen as the Savior kneels there in dark Gethsemane
and prays to the Father as a Son
Father, if You're willing let this cup of sorrow pass from Me
- still not My will but Thine alone be done
Listen to the Father there in Jesus' darkest hour as the breath of life
from Him is all but squeezed
In a voice there's no mistaking so that all around might hear -
"This is my Son and in Him I am truly pleased"!

Listen to the silence of that one who lives next door and know that
Jesus died for him as well as you
Be prepared to spend some sleepless nights in heav'nly service
as you seek the Master's mission here to do
Weep with those that weep, and yet rejoice with those that do rejoice
and let His Holy Spirit guide you here
Setting all your expectations on the things that are above and give no place
to worthless doubt or empty fear