I have found that there is power in singing about our oddly-specific woes and worries. Yes, it can feel silly at times, but that is partly why it is so efficacious; it puts our concerns in perspective and forces us out of our own heads.
Singing personal little songs is even more helpful when we couple them with the universal, eternal truth of great hymns.
For Example…
A few years ago, when I was a new homeowner and professional, I found myself singing the following little song to express my anxieties. After a while, I realized how naturally this song flowed into the classic chorus of “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.”
Beautifully, I found that this improvised medley helped me work through my anxieties. My personal lyrics helped me express myself clearly, pairing these verses with the refrain of a timeless hymn provided a more godly perspective, and adding a bridge taken directly from Scripture offered gentle correction to unhelpful thought patterns (Luke 16:10).
In a way, this song follows the pattern of a psalm of Lament, though in a much more light-hearted way. Clearly, King David wrote his psalms while facing far more daunting trials than home DIYs and employment paperwork. Still, these lyrics fostered emotional expression, led me to remember God’s providence, and encouraged to keep pressing on—even in this broken life.
The Lyrics
VERSE 1
It’s the season of broken things;
I’ve got coffee rings
On my table and my windowsill,
And when I do my laundry
My dryer screams
And I worry that my walls are…
CHORUS
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
VERSE 2
It’s the season of broken things;
When I try to sing
I am stifled by my allergies
And when I walk
The heel falls off
Of my left shoe so I’m left…
CHORUS
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
VERSE 3
In this season of distant dreams
Silly as it seems
I hope someday to grow out of this
And move on to bigger things
That never need
Fixing…
BRIDGE
But if I can’t be faithful
With the broken and little,
How can I be trusted with more?
So I’ll keep…
CHORUS
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
PARTIAL VERSE
And you know that’s the thing
About broken things:
They force us all to lean…
OUTRO
So what have I to dread whatever might break
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord by faith
leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on those everlasting arms.1
Ryanne Molinari 