There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
And the getting up again
There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
In this vast eternity
There is more

Our hearts were awakened to music and emotion through the art of Andrew Peterson. We began to hear echoes of the gospel in ordinary life. The ordinary things of marriage, parenting, aging, feasting, children growing, dying, gardening. His lyrics are rich with Biblical allusion, literary references, imagination, surprise, and beauty.  Through his songs, he helped teach us to view all of life through a gospel lens.

As his song Windows in the World poetically explains, “It’s a window in the world, a little portal where you get a better view. And the wonder of it all is all you need to see the goodness getting through. And all along the way the days are made of little moments–all along the way the road is paved with little moments of truth.”

We found Peterson’s music during some dark years of our lives, and his music gave us hope and sang us through the troubled waters when we weren’t sure we would make it. His music was a gift because it pointed our hearts, our hopes, and our longings to a person–THE Person–Jesus Christ.

A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why
There must be more

Andrew Peterson sings as a storyteller reminding us that we live in a Far Country that is not our home. We are longing for our true home where our joy will finally be full.

There is more
More than we can stand
Standing in the glory
Of a love that never ends
There is more
More than we can guess
More and more, forever more
And not a second less

On the first Sunday in March, we drove three and a half hours north to hear Andrew Peterson perform live in concert. The energy of his music in a live setting brought us to tears as we sang along in the darkness. It was worth rearranging our schedules and making the effort to attend because we were able to talk with him afterwards. We shared how his music had intersected with our story and thanked him personally for his influence in our lives and our marriage.

He looked directly at me and said, “The stories are true.” The stories of the Bible are true. Now that I’ve walked through deep doubt and profound fear, and Christ has brought me safely to rest on Him, my heart sings when I’m told, “the stories are true.” Because they are.

Our favorite musician took the time to listen to us, empathize with us, comfort us with truth, and share a bit of his story as he autographed our copies of his CDs. We even got a picture with him to cap off the experience.

There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything
Wilder than our wildest dreams
Could ever dream to be
There is more

~”More” by Andrew Peterson and Pierce Pettis