SOTM: “Indescribable”, by Chris Tomlin
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
I remember when I first heard this song. It was at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church and Jon Hsieh was leading worship. I was sitting in the front row next to Duane (Dwayne?), an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair who has started to come pretty regularly to CCFC. He’s notable because he certainly doesn’t fit the “mold” at CCFC—he had just started coming regularly and said that he was drawn back because he felt God’s spirit in our house. Would that every person who came through our doors might meet God that way!
Well, it had been a long time since I had felt the presence of God at CCFC, so I smiled and praised God that he made himself known to Duane, but secretly hid my slightly bitter heart of 9 1/2 years (oh, how I remember those early days when James, Gary, Mindy and xt_yih (and on rare occasions, even Soong-Chan(!)) led the worship singing and every Sunday was a deeply emotional and spiritual experience… not that the other worship leaders since then haven’t been good, but there was something special (for me) about those early days).
And as I stood singing beside my brother, I felt God as I hadn’t in so long. His presence touched me and I just… felt… There’s a part of me that wonders if Duane brings the Spirit of God with him. But no… God is at CCFC and with Duane and with me, too.
“Indescribable” is the only song I remember from that particular worship set, probably because it was the only one that was new to me. There was something about the words that spoke a deep spiritual truth to my soul. But after penning a quick “Praise God” to Jon, I promptly forgot about the song until I heard it again on the car ride to Pat’s Peak this past weekend. Since then, I’ve been listening to it a lot.
The thing is, I know God is that awesome, but it’s still hard for me to live as if I believe it. You know? I get wrapped up in my petty life. I wonder if I’m ever going to date again (that’s bothered me a lot more this past week than it has for a few months, but perhaps more on that another day). I get deeply unmotivated and I just go through the motions of life without ever living. I was made for much more than this. (And so were you, dear reader. 
)
And yet through it all, God is still that awesome. Unaffected by how I’m feeling. He has deep and good promises for me, and he will see them through. Indescribable.
Where to go from here? Baby steps. Always baby steps (or so it feels). Re-learning to love. Who will walk with me, loving me and letting me love you? Many of you have walked with me for a long time, as well as others who don’t read this. We’re the family of God. And praise God that in spite of all the dirt and crap in each of us, he uses us to bless each other and this world. How’s that for indescribable?
And why are my eyes so stinkin’ small when I smile?!)
