This is the first time I have ever written in response to a prompt. It was challenging to make myself "keep going" when I would have otherwise abandoned this song - that's why I'm so thankful for this class and for the opportunity to develop my songwriting in a more disciplined structure. This isn't the best thing I've ever written, and it needs a lot of editting - it's too long, too wordy, etc. However, I figured I would go ahead and share it anyway since I need to gain more confidence in sharing song "drafts" and ideas vs. waiting until I have a finished product :)

I am a worship leader who writes songs, and my first thought when I read the prompt was to write something about my relationship with Jesus. But I wanted to approach the topic from a different angle. Lately I have been mulling over the free choice that Christ gives us when we come into relationship with Him. I have been a Christian so long and it's been such a part of my culture and upbringing that sometimes I take for granted that I DO have a choice, and that I could walk away at any minute if I decided to. I wanted to write a song about what my relationship with Christ would be like without any religion, rules, church obligations, etc. "tying" me to Him. That's the place this song was birthed out of. It sort of comes from the saying, "If you love something, you'll let it go....etc." My only means of sharing it was to make a video, so here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFWGF-OP4is

You have got me in a fix right now

I can’t seem to figure out

How you caught me up in a moment

And now I just can’t turn around

I’m frozen and it’s just as well

‘Cause as far as I can tell

Your love has got me under a barrel

And under Your spell

Oooohh will You let me go?

Oooohh if You don’t

We’ll never know

These walls one push away from caving in

I could run away again

Be on my own but I don’t want to

These chains that keep me tethered to Your heart

Shadows playing in the dark

‘Cause how could I ever help but love You?

I could run away if I dared

Pretend that I did not care

The loveliest place wouldn’t be the same

Without You there

Only You know the way to my soul

In Your arms my heart is at home

Without You tell me

Where else would I go?

These walls one push away from caving in

I could run away again

Be on my own but I don’t want to

These chains that keep me tethered to Your heart

Shadows playing in the dark

‘Cause how could I ever help but love You?

Your love is a tidal wave pulling me under

I can’t seem to keep my head above water

And I don’t want to

I don’t want to

Your love is a magnet that’s pulling me closer

A beautiful feeling that I can’t get over

So I won’t try to

I won’t try

These walls one push away from caving in

I could run away again

Be on my own but I don’t want to

These chains that keep me tethered to Your heart

Shadows playing in the dark

‘Cause how could I ever help but love You?

Michelle Martin

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