As a way to introduce the new records, I am writing blogs going song by song to give you some insight into the writing, recording, production and story of each of the songs. Here is the next installment.
Song By Song – 7-23-10
It was Friday, and I was at work at the BOB (big old building) in Sarasota. My grandfather, my mom’s dad, D.O. Chandler, Jr., was not doing well. His health had declined pretty significantly in a short time. I took a call on my cell phone in the long hallway that separated the office area from the back warehouse. It was my mom. My grandfather, who was getting much weaker by the minute, asked to talk to me. The rest of my family - my parents, my brother, my aunts and uncles and cousins - were all there. Mary and I were the only ones not there because we lived in Florida. Papa came on the phone, and I could not really make out anything he was trying to say. With tears filling my eyes, I told him that I loved him and that it was ok for him to let go and to pass. Something told me he needed our permission, so I wanted to grant it to him.
My next call was to my dad to ask for his advice. Should we try to come home? It was not really an easy task. My dad would not tell me one way or the other, born out of his experience with his younger brother who died before I was born. They called the family in, and then his brother lived for several more months. The conclusion was for me and Mary to wait and see. It was July 23, 2010.
The situation ebbed and flowed all weekend long. On Monday morning, as I was about to leave our townhouse to go to work, my mom called to tell me that Papa had died. That began the mad scramble to get a plane ticket to fly home the following day. I can still see the image of the radar on my phone after we landed at RDU. There was so much yellow, orange and red with lightning flashing through the windows of the terminal that I still, to this day, have no idea how that plane was able to land and we were able to get off. My brother and sister-in-law picked us up, and we drove to Burlington just in time to meet the family and view Papa’s body.
I was in the throes of studying the book of Romans with some men from my church using John Piper’s sermon series when all this transpired. So, I viewed my grandfather’s death, a saint with deep, deep flaws just like his grandson, through the theological lens of what the Scriptures were teaching me about fall and redemption and sin and death and life. Papa’s death and every other loss that any human experiences is the Fall replaying itself over and over again – the weight of Adam’s sin on all who came after him. The Lord also gave me a great gift for the final verse of this song. Inspired by the study of Romans and the deep theological impact it was having on me personally during this time, I saw something in the images of the crucifixion that I believe form some of the finest lines I’ve ever written in a song. In the crown of thorns, I saw the challenge of believing the promises of redemption, renewal and eternal life when the faith in those things is rattled by pain and death and loss. And in the nails piercing the hands of Jesus, I saw the love He extends to His own – a love that, in the worst of circumstances, grants what Paul calls the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
The first time I performed this song live was at a Sunday morning service at Faith Baptist Church where I was leading worship. As I walked off the stage to the back entrance, my good friend Matt Favero, who was listening from the side of the stage, stopped me and said, “That’s a game changer”. I was grateful for his assessment. I thought I had written a good song, and I still feel that way 11+ years later. It was a turning point for me as a writer and was the most important song for me on the Home EP. I cried when I first heard John Ray’s upright string parts. They were so beautiful, more than I could have ever imagined. Michael Anderson’s piano was so elegant and tasteful. Then Kevin’s electric tracks just moved me so much, filling and elevating the music behind the lyrics. Maddy Calhoun recorded a great harmony vocal track to seal the deal. The level of production on this tune was greater than any of my work up to this point. The quality and creativity from the musicians means so much to me since this song is so personal to me and my family.
Check back in a few days as I continue to go song by song with “A Picture Of Your Grace”.
