a better way

There was a time, about five years ago, where I would wake up before the sun rose on the east coast, just to go hang out with Jesus. It was this sweet time with Him that I remember as being so foundational to the years that would come after. I long to recover portions of that time.

Often, in those early mornings, I would turn on this song called "A Better Way" by Jason Upton and just sit, letting the words soak into my heart. My prayer became: take my ambition, Jesus. Make me your friend.

"You came to lead us to our Father. / You came to show us a better way. / Oh Jesus, help us not to forget why You came.

You came in the midst of the world's ambitions. / You came in the midst of religious ambitions. / You came in the opposite spirit of man, Lord. / You came and you showed us a holy way, you showed us a better way, you showed us the better way...

You took upon yourself all of our rejection. / You took upon yourself all of our ambition. / You held upon yourself all of our anger. / You took upon yourself the anger of our traditions. / You came, and you showed us a better way...a way that leads to healing, to life.

We brought our ambition to you, Jesus. You turned it into friendship."