A man lost his fiancé and found these words written in her journal:
I am not abandoned.
That was the real-life inspiration behind the song, I Am Not Abandoned, one of ten tracks on HBCD Worship’s debut album, Alive in Me.
Maybe it’s the writer in me, who can’t help but turn everything she hears into story fodder.
Or maybe it’s the mom, who knows her youngest son is half a world away in an orphanage with no mommy or daddy to hold him and if I could whisper one tiny truth in his precious little ear, it would be this:
You, my beloved child, are not abandoned.
The lyrics resonate deep in my soul. All the songs on the album do.
Which is why I wanted to share the awesomeness with you.
You can check out the album by clicking on the links below:
When I asked Austin Tullos, one of the artists of HBCD Worship, to share his heart behind the album with you, here’s what he had to say:
From the start, our greatest priority has been to make an album that is focused on Jesus, not us. Our purpose in writing and recording these songs is to make much of Jesus, glorify His name, proclaim His Word, and encourage His people.
On the physical copy, you’ll find that each song in the track listing has a scripture reference listed beside it. This detail, though small, is one that we are really excited about! There are no words more powerful than the words God wrote for us and we crafted each song with this in mind. Embedded into the foundation of writing the lyrics of these songs is our belief that God’s word brings hope, joy, and certainty to a world that is filled with fear, doubt, and uncertainty.
On a local level, it’s our joy and honor to serve the people of Harvest Bible Chapel Davenport each week as worship leaders. We wrote this album with them in mind and are encouraged each week by their unashamed worship.
On a larger scale, I hope this album speaks to your heart. I pray there is a song for you on this album. I’m not sure where you are right now. I’m not sure what you’re struggling with. But I do know that we serve a God of joy who is sufficient for all of our needs and it is not in His nature to abandon or forsake His children.
I hope that these songs spur you on in your journey as an unashamed worshipper of Jesus Christ. I hope they challenge you to continue to strive to make much of Him in everything you do…Because I can promise you these things: He’s good. He’s faithful. He’s trustworthy. And He’s worth it.
I pray that you are blessed and encouraged by our music. You are loved.
~Austin Tullos
“I can’t always see the light from the valley,
Still you shine, you shine.
I am not, I will never be abandoned.
For my God will never leave my side.”
~HBCD Worship, I Am Not Abandoned
Let’s Talk: When is a time in your life when you felt fearful, but God reminded you that you were not abandoned?
If you want to know more about HBCD Worship, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and their website.
If you haven’t signed up for a welcome packet yet, I’d love to send you one! You can find the sign-up button at the top of this page.
If you’re looking for a new book to read, you can read the first three chapters of Wildflowers from Winter for free! Just click on the link.
Thank you so much for writing this. powerful blog!
Beautiful songs and sweet words from a long-distance mommy. Thanks for sharing both. Praying you won’t be long distance for long.
Absolutely LOVE reading your comments, ladies. Funny a few of you mention those real-life Wildflowers from Winter stories, because that song, I Am Not Abandoned, makes me think of them too!
Katie,
Another wonderful post about the ONE who loves us more than we can possibly imagine.
God is faithful, that I KNOW!
Blessings,
Becky
Thanks so much for introducing us to this new worship album – LOVE!! Being a music peep, I relate completely and agree wholeheartedly with Austin’s comments. Headed to iTunes to check it out. There’s nothing like worshiping the Lover and Keeper of our soul, my Friend. Hugs!
Forme, my first battle with clinical depression nearly did me in. I felt abandoned, but I KNEW that I wasn’t. Imagine being squeezed down into the bottom of a deep, dark and very narrow well. You feel like God is up at the top, on the surface and that you’re an EPIC failure because you can’t find the strength to climb up and out, back to where the good and normal people live.
But then you hear a voice, a whisper. And then you feel the heat of someone next to you. And you talk yourself into looking up, just for a second. And who is there?
Jesus.
“Hey, Jennifer, I’m here. And I widened the well. I’m down her with you. Let’s climb together. Up to where all the other sinful, broken failures live. I’ve roped you to me. You’re good. We’re good. And don’t worry. God didn’t wait for you to find a way to fight your way up and out. He sent me. I know the way. Whenever you’re ready, we can climb together.”
THAT, my friends, is Jesus to me.
I’m sooo excited about your new son, Katie. Even though he’s thousands of miles away right now, I know he’s one loved little fellow. I pray he feels that love across the miles.
Like Gabrielle, I shared about my feelings of abandonment in my Wildflowers from Winter post and how, despite feeling alone, I felt the presence of the Lord in a real and powerful way.
I addressed the time in my life when I felt abandoned in my Wildflowers from Winter blog post, so I won’t relive it here, but one thing I will relive is the truth that God never leaves us nor forsakes us – and that is much too awesome to even comprehend at times.
Katie, congratulations on your new baby boy! I will add him to my prayer list as the waiting continues. I can’t imagine what it’s like knowing he’s there and you can’t hold him – but what a joyful day that will be!
What a powerful song, Katie. I love those lyrics. There have been times I’ve felt abandoned, but that was a lie. I never was. I still get fearful about my future, with questions of the unknown: Will I make a good mom someday? Will I ever be published? Will I lose someone else I love?
It’s hard, because God doesn’t promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us. He just promises that He’ll never leave us when they do.
Pretty sure that’s an album I need to check out. 🙂
My first year after college was a rough one for me. All the plans I’d made seemed to fall apart. I felt fearful at moments, for sure. But I went Psalm-crazy in that year…read through them over and over…and God reminded me over and over that He hadn’t abandoned me.
I LOVE that Psalms. They are so great when I’m feeling spiritually dry or abandoned or fearful. I keep listening to the I Am Not Abandoned song on repeat. You can listen to a snippet of each song on Amazon and you can buy the whole album or you can buy individual songs on both Amazon and iTunes.
As an adoptee, I love how God says we’re adopted into His family. Adoptees cannot be disowned by their adopted parents. A biological child can, but not the adopted child. So when God uses that analogy, He’s saying He’ll never leave us or abandon us. And that’s something we can base our lives and our eternity on.
Love that, Ane!
Oh my goodness, I could write a book (oh wait, that’s what I’m doing 😉 ) about the times I’ve been afraid and God reminded me I’m not abandoned. I have to say, during those fear-filled times, “Do not be afraid” would often leap off the pages of Scripture and nestle into my heart. Also, “I am with you always.” Sigh. That phrase has been a lifeline for me.
And aww, I got teary-eyed this morning, reading what you wish you could whisper to your youngest son. What a beautiful sentiment.
I love those words from God, Barb! What awesome reminders that we have nothing to fear in Him and that He’s always with us. Thanks for sharing, girl!