I’ve shared a good bit of my story with many of you either individually or at various times during our Sunday gatherings, but for those of you who haven’t heard it yet…
Growing up, I never knew my earthly father. One might think that I’d be REALLY messed up because of this, but God is SO GOOD.
I always say “if not for the grace of God, I don’t know where I’d be today…”
In the fall of 2011, I met a man named David Midwood. He was a pastor at a church in Southern New Hampshire at the time, and I had just accepted a position to serve alongside him as the worship pastor.
David and I began a relationship that would change my life forever.
David always had a heart for discipleship and a passion for pouring into young pastors. Only after a few months, when David learned my story about growing up without a father, he told me that I was going to be his spiritual son and that he would be my spiritual father. This wasn’t just with his words, he followed through with his actions.
He used to tell me when we had done something to offend each other: “Kenny, I am secure in your love so nothing you ever do can take that away.” Or when he’d see me for the first time that day he’d give me a giant hug [he was a large man - about 6'5.] and he’d kiss me on the cheek. I’d NEVER experienced fatherly love like this from any human. God had always been gracious to me and revealed Himself as Father, but never in my life had anyone shown me this kind of love.
In 2014, David Midwood was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just 6 weeks after his initial diagnosis. My heart was torn apart. I was sad. I was angry. I was confused. I wasn’t myself. My wife will tell you that for a time, the life had gone from my eyes. I just didn’t know what to do with this grief. One day, after his passing, I was outside of my house getting something out of my car and I just collapsed on the pavement. It was almost as if the life had gone from my legs. I just sat there short of breath, weeping.
As I sat there, unable to stand, I began to hear these words wash over my soul…
You, God, stand forever Though my feet may fail, And breath seems lost
Oh Your hands will hold me together
And You lift me up and make me strong
And I stood up. I kept moving. And I kept leaning into God’s great love for me. I later took these words and wrote a song. I was able to sing that song at a fundraiser held in David’s honor to raise money for the David Midwood Fund which supports a mentorship program for young pastors all throughout New England.
I’ve been writing songs for quite some time, and every journey on songwriting is different. Sometimes it involves sitting down with an idea, expounding upon it, and trying to find the right words. Other times, it’s almost as if the Lord Himself sings a song over the writer. For me, on this song, the latter was very much what it was like.
I hope this song encourages you, as it has me. No matter what you are going through, even when you feel like you can no longer stand, God will ALWAYS be there to pick you up and help you keep walking with Him.
Visit http://www.noisetrade.com/kennylaughters/stand-forever-single to listen to the song.
