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a Welcome reminder.

by WICK

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about

To know and grow further: welcomingthestranger.com

lyrics

A simple reminder, to help remove a few blinders,
the numbers of wonders and blunders
when it comes to how humanity is done
that rarely does one become an immigrant for fun.
Whether on the run from violence or unlivable situations,
from conflicted nations and those with no patience
for watching their children die in conditions
that don't belong where one might go.
And so – when no other options exist –
often the sacrifice becomes worth the risk.
Uprooted and abandoning all hope of space,
a personal place where you and I so often see face to face,
roots planted and taking for granted the simple act of being,
being seen, Forced behind the scenes
and seen as obscene and possibly even Illegal
By those with Bald Eagle eyes,
super-sized for purposes of anxious living
Giving a complex to those just trying to protect their necks
and carry children through to the next day.
A day where someone might just say –
nice to meet you, how can I greet you,
can I help you, tell me your story
To know you're not seeking glory or fame,
but just a name and place
Ohh, to have place,
Space where furniture can be arranged,
and where we don't seem too strange,
not so estranged from the ways of those around,
those for whom mobility abounds
The sounds of every siren trained to inflict pain,
and strain the very fabric of the tapestry
You're trying to weave for those who'll still be here when you leave.
While notarios conceive of more plans to demand
payment for document Q
And if you only knew how to get through the maze of immigration while
the days tick by, off a clock you know began
counting down the moment you arrived.
Striving to find someone who speaks,
not just at you but for you,
not just to you, but opening the door too,
And taking the time to listen,
as dew glistens the morning after cold night
You imagine being brought in from the fright,
and asked how you might be loved,
Which is more than enough to give you hope,
that the end of that rope might be
further than you thought
And perhaps you ought to try just one more time,
as you find the treasure you've mined
for for years, seen now through tears to hands holding yours,
showing you doors
Not being escorted out, but further in, and your children begin to grin,
as the thin wire you've been dancing on
becomes a solid foundation of tomorrow,
You've borrowed every dime you could just to get to this stage
Not knowing what might happen as you turned the page.
Still unsure of just how long and where you may need to roam
But spirits lifted simply knowing you'll never be alone.

It's a reminder, for those of us who are able,
we are all invited to one table,
remembering the stable that showed welcome long ago,
even though we may not understand the grand systems set in place,
we know whose space this is,
and His words remind us love is not blind, but sees,
The way we serve the least of these
Following the wild love of a child born in a manger
And watching the ways He welcomed the stranger...

credits

released November 22, 2016

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all rights reserved

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about

WICK Champaign, Illinois

NOTE: These recordings are a bit tame. I'm a dad who has often recorded in a home w/4 sleeping children late at night. Wanna record or hear live? Holla.

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Child of God, Husband, father, full-time pastor/missionary & love words - whether written or sung. I've got a lot to share...

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