Daniel

words & music by Doug Howell (21 Mar 1973)

thirteen inches of snow on the earth
what better way to spend the day
than sitting alone in my room with the door shut
typing my life on sheets of paper
life has always been a noun to me
but just now it seems to me
as if it should be something more

Daniel must have been some sorta guy
too bad it’s not easy to live for God
then everyone would do it
wouldn’t they?

one more layer of stone on my heart
and it will be unreachable
doesn’t seem right that I’ve known You for fifteen years
and been slapping your face for fifteen years
Jesus, if You don’t think it bothers me
just look at me now
I’m losing my head ’cause I don’t want to hurt You

(repeat chorus)

I’m so glad that You never run dry
of the love I need so desperately
and You never seem to forget
that I need You
don’t let me forget You when You need me
I don’t think I’ll ever understand
but I know I need Your life
to live a life that’s gonna please You

(repeat chorus)

1977 Notes

The Christian life is not always a happy, glory-filled sunshine skyway to the clouds. It is most often just an ordinary looking path, straight and very narrow. At times it becomes treacherously steep, and it often descends into the valley and is swallowed up in shadow. Consider the teachings of Jesus. He never attempted to make discipleship either easy or popular. Instead, He warned would-be followers to count the cost. Many times when addressing a crowd He deliberately emphasized the difficulties and seriousness of following him even though He new many would turn away, rather than give a false impression of ease just to increase the number of converts.

The road He calls us to travel is hard. But though it is steep, His strength is sufficient, and though it is filled with shadow, His light shines ever brighter in our hearts. We may not consider ourselves to be mature when we call His way easy, but when we see His way as best. Let us praise God for the mountains, for if we’d never become weary we would not know how great is His strength and willingness to help us; and for the shadows, for if we had never walked in darkness, we would not know how glorious is His light.

Luke 14:26-35

2006 Notes

This is about as close to a “stream of consciousness” song as I’ve got. I really did just sit down at the typewriter and type my life. There really had been a blizzard of a snowstorm, and things were pretty much gridlocked. Couldn’t go anywhere, and all I wanted to do was go anywhere. Just escape. From myself. But of course, that’s not possible, and in the end you have to face things one way or another. Can’t remember what was getting me down in particular, but I obviously felt like a failure. Guess it’s a good thing that it bothers us when we fail. It’s part of the motivation to pick ourselves up and try again. (More like give up trying, and let Him live through us.) Strange that even when we’re feeling like failures, He needs us.