A Message from Dad…

I kind of put off doing a post on Larry Norman after hearing of his death. I did so because it was hard to know what to write. I really loved that guy — for all his talent, his weirdness, and his radical nature. He’s always been a great picture of God’s grace in our lives as through Larry’s human struggles, God still manifested himself.

To me, part of his appeal was how raw his music was. Larry didn’t care if every note was right. He just wanted to place the music out there and let the people respond as they would. Some of my best friends laughed when I played Born to be Unlucky, but I loved it, because I appreciated it’s rawness. (Is that a word?)

I came across this tune when my children were very small. It struck a cord with me. I place the lyrics here because I can’t find them anywhere online. There here as a tribute to Larry and a reminder to me to bless my children consistently.

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Well I hope that somewhere out there is a woman for you.
And I hope that also waiting is a baby or two.
Because the best things in life are kids and a wife —
I never wanted to be no star.
I’m afraid that God is still the only reason why I pick up my guitar.

When you’re awake I try to show you all the love I can give.
So you’ll have strength for the fight ’cause as you get older, life gets harder to live.
I love you more than anything else on earth; I think about you all the time
And every night I’m prayin’ that the Second Birth will someday be the first thing on your mind.

Love might be blind
And life is very often so unkind.
But when you’re tryin’ to live the best you can you sometimes don’t know right from wrong,
Black from white
When I’m tryin’ to love you the way I should sometimes I can’t get it right.

I just hope that when you’re older you will understand
Why your life’s not turning out exactly the way it was planned.
Everything keeps changin’ on this crazy planet
Sometimes I don’t know what I can do.
But I’m workin’ hard for our future so be good to your mother;
You’ll make your Father happy too.

Since you came into my life, these last three years, I’ve felt a new kind of pain.
It really breaks my heart when each tour starts and you’re wavin’ goodbye to the plane.

I’d to stay at home for the rest of my life and spend every day playin’ with you.
But that was not the reason I was put on earth.  I gotta make my Father happy too.

Love might be blind.
And life is very often so unkind.

And when I’m trying to do the best I can sometimes I don’t know right from wrong,
Black from white
And when I’m trying to love you the best I can sometimes I don’t get it right.

Well I hope that when you’re out there you’ll find a woman, you know.
And I hope you see some kind of life that’s worth livin’ on that road stretchin’ ahead.
The best thing in life is God, a wife, kids.
And I hope the only reason you get up in the morning is to really live.
I hope when you’re out there it’s all waiting for you.
And I hope that when you get there you know what to do.

If you fall down, get back up.
You know I love you so much.

And I hope that when you’re out there, you can make it through.

~Larry Norman

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