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This is a REALLY old one from my churchgoing days, mostly rewritten from memory. It had kind of a pretty melody so I'd like to see if it's useable. Second verse is new because I forgot the original one. Had the accompaniment mostly figured out on the piano and put the whole darn thing into an ex-boyfriend's computer and, natch, never saw it again.


"Child of Love" (C) 2003

You’ve called me to a higher standard
& I’ve failed you more than one too many times
Why not confess God that your plan failed?
That I have hurt you beyond all ‘second tries‘?

How can you say that you still love me?
How can you say that you still care?
Look at all the pain and hurt I’ve cost you
Witness the deep scars that you still bear

Ch. Child of love
That’s all I am
A child of God
Far from perfect
But I’m called to be
A light in the dark
I’m on my knees
Come and lift me up
Again

Now by your grace you call me “daughter”
And I have a seat beside your golden throne
No longer wandering in the wilderness
I place my hope in you alone

But in those moments when I falter
And the darkness is so thick that I can’t see
You come to rescue me on eagle’s wings
And raise me up so I can be (a)

Hmmm..Mz K...this one works for Deists, too (& I rarely comment on a Christian Lyric.)

This one Works, & Works Well. I'm touched by the Humility in this piece...& Humility's, IMO, one of the First Conditions it takes to be anywhere near-worthy of God's Love.

I had a chuckle the other day as I drove past a tent alongside one of Tampa's busier Avenues..."Atheists of America" read the red-lettering on the tent. And..they were having some kinda Confab....(on a Sunday!) ;-)>

"KUDOS" for this write.

Best Wishes & Big Hugs,
Stan

I like this a lot, Kate, because it's humble and honest and, best of all, not sappy or (worse) kind of arrogant as too many CCM songs are of late. I think that Again that ends the chorus can really pack an emotional, er spiritual, punch. The only line that kind of bugged me was the Witness the deep scars. Not sure of the meter but it seemed forced, even though that's a loaded word for church folk. I wondered if the homey old See wouldn't have worked better.

Just my thoughts.
Scott

Hi Kitty,

Couple of reason-backed suggestions.

You’ve called me to a higher standard
& I’ve failed you more than one too many times
Why not ADMIT that your plan HAS failed?
THAT YOU'VE TURNED MY MISDEMEANORS INTO CRIMES

How can I BELIEVE that you still love me?
How can I BELIEVE that you still care?
Look at all the pain and hurt I’ve cost you
I CAN IMAGINE the deep scars that you bear

Terry

Thanks Stan, and Scott, you've hit on my one major nit, which is that last line on v. 1. Gotta think about that, good suggestion.

Thanks for the input, Terry, can you give me some of your reasoning behind that edit? I like the switch to "admit." I still think the first verse is buggy but that angle seems to make the singer come across as more selfish, like you're blaming God instead of acknowledging your failures? Or are you suggesting the singer should be approaching with anger and confusion before coming to a humble place? Just my before-coffee read.

Hi Kitty,

You wrote:
I like the switch to "admit."

Oh good! That change is self-explanatory.
And "why not confess God that" . . . seemed a little laborious

Having "God" there to clarify that you aren't speaking to a lover may be a good idea
because even the chorus wouldn't let a listener know. But maybe the "called me to a higher standard" is enough of a clue -- especially if we use "someone left the cake out in the rain" as a model of how cryptic we can be. <smile>

Even better might be: "Why not just tell me God, your plan for me has failed"
But maybe in your "buggy" category is the fact that "failed" is used twice.

Maybe . . .
Why not just tell me Lord, your plan has run amuck

WHY NOT JUST ADMIT LORD, YOU'VE PUT YOUR PLANS ON HOLD
(got a hint of internal rhythm there -- admit & put)

You wrote:
"I still think the first verse is buggy but that angle seems to make the singer come across as more selfish, like you're blaming God instead of acknowledging your failures?"

Which "angle" are you referring to -- the effects of my changes or the original.

I thought that the lovable degree of youthful self-pity and blame while still acknowledging a faith in God was the good essence of the first verse.
Part of the reasoning of my dropping the word "confess" was to tone down the selfish and soften the challenging tone directed toward God, which only serves to have her faith too unrealistic to be inviting.

Making sure that God doesn't appear to have weakness worthy of the temerity of her chastising blame, but having it that she is essentially saying "I don't blame you one bit if you give up on me Lord. . . would be the ticket.

Also . . .
Your 2nd line was clever with "more than one too many"
and "beyond all second tries" . . . detracts from that rather than supports it -- like being too lyrically clever or too much of a good thing.
AND . . . I thought that being as a change was in order, why not search for a pure rhyme rather than "times/tries" while I was at it.

Also to have her make the determination that she had "hurt" God . . . seemed too human a trait for even a troubled young girl to attribute to God.

WHY NOT JUST ADMIT LORD, YOU'VE PUT YOUR PLANS ON HOLD
THAT YOU WON'T BE BY MY SIDE, ON THIS MOUNTAIN THAT I CLIMB

That you won't be there to catch me, to guide me . . .

WHEW! VERSE 2

Admonishing the Lord to "confess" . . . too spiritually unrealistic even for her to use.
It's like if a joke doesn't have the realistic component, the twist doesn't work.
So I changed it to "believe" . . . as she softens in her "abandoned" assertions, toward the faithful Chorus where she prays to be lifted up.

To use "witness" in the last line . . . belies the all-powerful nature of God.
Maybe something like:

AFTER ALLTHE SADNESS (HURT AND PAIN) THAT I'VE COST YOU
TO BE THERE FOR ME WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO BEAR

TO BE THERE FOR ME, MUST BE TOO MUCH TO BEAR

And that's that for my coffee.

TallT

You're welcome, Kate. BTW, I could have guessed from the quote in your sig that you were an editor. I am, too (in my day job) and I love that quote. Editing is a compulsion for sure (for some of us).

Best,
Scott

Thanks so much for the revisit Terry! I see what you mean and you've definitely given me food for thought since that part of the lyric is 7 years old.

Yup, guilty, Scott, although I ran smack into a glass ceiling at my last job and decided going back to school was a good idea in the interim. Come by it honestly too, I'm afraid, my dad's a former linguist. Gotta tame the impulse somewhat on sites like this, it's easy to forget not everyone is a pro.

KATE--

I LIKE --

CONSIDER MY SUGGS (CAPS)--JMHO--USE OR LOSE

Child of Love" (C) 2003

You’ve called me to a higher PLATEAU
I HAVE failed YOU IN SO MANY WAYS
Why not TELL ME MY SCORE IS LOW
AND CROSS ME OFF OF THOSE WHO WAIT

How can you say that you still love me?
How can you say that you still care?
Look at all the pain and hurt I CAUSED you
WITH THOSE deep scars that you still bear

Ch.
Child of love
That’s all I am
A child of God
I’M NOT perfect
YOU WANT ME to be
A light in the dark
HERE on my knees
YOU lift me up ....Again

AND by your grace you call me “daughter”
I have a seat CLOSE TO THE HIGHEST throne
I’M no longer LOST in the wilderness
I place my hope in you alone

But in those moments when I falter
And WHEN darkness FALLS AND I can’t see
You come to rescue me on eagle’s wings
And raise me up TO EVER be FREE.

Thanks for the input Mackie. As always you guys give me lots to think about!