From Loneliness to Living Oaks
(Mynewest recording “Living Oaks” is now available! The next few weeks I will besharing stories about songs on this recording)
God can use lonelytimes in our lives to produce something beautiful.
The first summerthat I served in my position as worship pastor our home church in Florida (LiveOaks Community Church) was exciting, busy… and a little lonely.
It was excitingbuilding a new ministry in a growing church, and enjoyable as the church hurriedlyprepared to move into a new campus. During June, the first month of myministry, the lead pastor and I met to discuss the upcoming inaugural serviceat our new campus building that would be completed later in August. As wediscussed ideas for music, the thought occurred to write a worship song forthat event. We talked about it and prayed for God’s wisdom and inspiration. Thenext couple of weeks I spent time in the Bible reading, reflecting, and prayingon some scriptures that came to me, but no new song inspiration came.
On a personallevel, moving cross-country into a temporary rental house, planning andarranging the financial and logistical details of our new home, and living outof boxes and suitcases made for a complicated and crazy time.
Loneliness was alsopart of that summer because my wife Terese was still in Minnesota—finishing herjob so she could take early retirement in the fall. We talked on the phone afew times each day, praying together and encouraging each other. I looked forwardto the weekend each month when she would fly down to Florida and spend a fewdays with me. Each moment of her visit was treasured, and driving her back tothe airport at the end of each stay was hard for me.
The Fourth of Julyholiday was the low point on the loneliness scale for me. My family was up inMinnesota, most people from my church were out of town, and I was alone for afew days. A tinge of sadness crept in as the holiday approached, so I traveleda couple hours to do some projects and work on an empty house my sister andbrother-in-law were trying to sell. Avideo call from my family, all gathered for an outdoor picnic in Minnesota, wasboth precious and hard, as I felt their love while also feeling a world awayfrom them. After a long day of projects, I sat in the empty house and prayedfor a few minutes before making the trek back to the rental house where I wasstaying. Then I saw the beautiful grand piano that stood near their livingroom. I was drawn to it and sat down to play.
Within a fewminutes, words and music to a new song started pouring out of me:
“God, You called ushere and planted us like seedlings by streams of living water…Like living oaks,trees of righteousness, planted by You, Lord, for Your glory…”
That day a new song“Living Oaks” was created, one that became a signature worship anthem for ourchurch. It was first sung at the inaugural service at our new campus later thatsummer, and since then it has become a part of the fabric of our church’s DNA.Today “Living Oaks” is one of the new worship songs on my original recording ofthe same title.
In retrospect, Irealize God allowed that lonely time in my life to produce something of beauty:a song that has blessed many people. In fact, he leveraged my time alone tohelp me understand that He can make light out of darkness, beauty out ofsadness, and music out of loneliness.
Whatever lonelinessyou may be experiencing right now, I pray that you will cling to this fact: Godis with you and will never leave you. He will make something new and beautifulout of the circumstances you are encountering. Trust Him, rest in Him, and pour out your heart to Him. He has somethinggood awaiting you just around the corner.
“He put a new songin my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
Psalm 40:3
God bless you!
Chris Atkins