"If I Say"
Bryant Manning
My newest original song, as sung for the congregation at Grace United Methodist in Venice FL.
"If I Say" is a song about ridding oneself of the distractions from a life of discipleship. Infused with thoughts on a Christian world that fakes its spiritual change, "If I Say" takes an introspective look and examines how my life mirrors the change that I claim in Christ.
"If I Say"
There are so many, so many things
Competing for every little bit of me
I sway more back and forth than the branches of a tree
And find myself stuck with more to believe
See, these things that I run into
They do nothing to make me new
And this short lived high becomes a waste of my time
When they never lead me back to you.
And If I say that you changed me,
And I believe that you really changed me
Then I might as well be changed, see
Like I told the world that I would be
I traveled the same old road over again
Passing by the places that I've already been
See the things I've seen the time and again
With the same old eyes and grin
See, these things that I run into
They do nothing to make me new
And this short lived high becomes a waste of my time
When they never lead me back to you.
And If I say that you changed me,
And I believe that you really changed me
Then I might as well be changed, see
Like I told the world that I would be
Because this is what you do
You tear down walls and makes us new
Though outwardly we waste away, inwardly renewed day by day
See, these things that we run into
They do nothing to make us new
And their short lived high becomes a waste of my time
When they never lead me back to you.
And If we say that you changed us,
And I believe that you really changed us
All we were was nothing but dust
And you entered in and entered us
The swaying branches of that tree
Were rooted in nothing but Thee
And the journey we're on begins with your song
A song of grace and love
And mercy and trust
And justice and honor and glory