You Raise Me Up

As I get older I find that things change in my life. My taste of music has changed over the years. I think back to the type of music I listened to in high school and I really don't listen to most of that any more. Don't get me wrong I still love some of the music from the 70's and 80's but I do not listen to some of the "other" stuff that I used to listen to.

One song that I can not seem to get out of my mind lately is "You Raise Me Up". The music was written by Secret Garden's Rolf Lovland and the lyrics by Brendan Graham. I did not realize that this song was not an original of Josh Grobin's until this week. This song has actually been covered about 125 times by different artists.

I am most familiar with the version by Josh Grobin and that is the one that continues to play in my head. I first heard him perform it during the opening of Super Bowl XXXVIII. I was not there for it but watched it on TV. I have since heard it many times.

The reason I have been thinking about it lately is because I am going to be teaching a combined Relief Society and Priesthood meeting on March 29th and feel impressed to use some of the lyrics from this song. I don't know the why Mr. Graham wrote the words he did for the song but I have taken the liberty to apply them to my life and will try to portray that a little here as I prepare for teaching my lesson.

The first part of the song makes reference to being down and weary, having a troubled hear and waiting in the silence. I have come to learn that most people feel like this at different times in their lives. Some feel it more than others, some actually feel this way daily. I am saddened by this and wish I could help and make people feel better. When I hear or read the last line in this verse, it sense hope and anticipation. The line references to sitting a while and waiting for someone to come and help. This brings me hope that even though people are down and discouraged for the most part they still have hope. I am kind of going through the thought process of this as I type but the scriptures make a lot of reference to "hope". I think if D&C 4:5 where hope is mentioned in the qualifications for the work. In the scriptures we learn to hope for things that are not seen. I am glad that the lyrics reference to having up and waiting for someone to help.

The next verse, I think they call it the chorus, makes reference to someone coming to the rescue and raising the person up. The help raise someone up to stand on mountains, they are raised up to walk on stormy seas (whatever those stormy seas may be), helping someone be strong because they have strong shoulders (which can be related to a lot of things in my mind) and then raising that person up to more than he can be. I really like what I think the connotation is this chorus.

I guess I never really paid much attention to the next verse of the song. The second verse mentions about that special person coming to help and when they come the person who was feeling down is filled with wonder (awe maybe) and is gets a glimpse of eternity.

I believe that we, as a people, can be the type of person that raises others up. I have been thinking about this a lot lately,obviously, since I am blogging about it and have come to learn that we all need at least one person in our life that raises us up. There can be more than one person in our lives and that is probably a good thing.

It feels even better when you are that person for someone else. Some that can be counted on in troubled times. Someone that will go sit with a friend who is struggling. Being someone that has the strong shoulders for someone else to stand on or sometimes cry on is very rewarding. Maybe being there when troubled times hit to help others get that glimpse of eternity.

I don't think I have done as good of a job of explaining what the lyrics of this song have done for me over the last few weeks.

I have come to learn that I rely on others to help raise me up and I am so thankful for those that play that part in my life. I have done a lot of thinking about my family and friendships and thank God each day for the good people I have in my life. They truly think much more of me than I do and Raise Me Up to More than I can be (on my own). I am so blessed and what I don't understand is why.

Finally, what I have come to learn is that through Jesus Christ our Heavenly Father is there to Raise Me (everyone) Up. When I feel down, my soul gets weary, my heart is burdened, I know that if I will call upon him, he will lift me up to more than I can be.