You don't know my story... freedom, deliverance, and such love

I love gospel music. I think it's because so much gospel music is about freedom and deliverance and I can relate to these theme. Below is my current favorite gospel. I absolutely love this song. I love the lyrics. I love the emotion behind it. I love how it's my testimony. I feel like words do not fully describe all that I feel when I listen to this song....

"You don't know my story... you don't know the strongholds that severed me... you don't know the day you set me free...in all God has been faithful to me...deliverance is my testimony...my story proves God can use me...you don't know my story the anguish and guilt that consumed me...grateful I can tell you for no more shall the shackles condemn me...you don't know my story for if you did you would lift up your hands...through my testimony and the blood of the Lamb delivered I am, now I have a testimony... grace and mercy, love and peace abound...life and favor upon me, he brought me out, God of mercy, he who loves me... oh how wondrous is my story"

When I listen to this song I am filled with such emotion as God reminds me of all that HE has done is my heart and life. How He has brought deliverance from very real struggles and strongholds. Deliverance and freedom from an eating disorder, deliverance and freedom from such deep insecurity, deliverance and freedom from emotional dependency. God has brought such healing into my life as He has shown me HIS love and acceptance. His truth has transformed my heart and life. I belong to Him. He has done more in my heart and life than I ever could have even begun to imagine. Thank you Jesus.

This is one reason I love sharing my stories of running and cycling. How I signed up for a 10 mile race which seemed impossible as I had never ran more than a few miles. 10 months later I ran my first marathon. How I had never learned to ride a bike. I took a class one day and months later I'm rode my first metric century. This was just a couple years ago. Pretty dramatic stories in both running and cycling.

I love these stories because it is such a picture of the dramatic transformation He has done in my heart and life. How He brought me out of such deep insecurity and self-hatred to the confidence I now have of my identity in Christ. Loved, secure, worthy, beautiful, significant. My God loves me, delights in me, and is proud of me. There is no greater significance than that. How He brought me out of the deep bonds of an eating disorder and brought healing, deliverance, and restoration in my heart and life. How He brought me out of deep condemnation and guilt and showed me His grace, mercy, and more grace. How He brought me out of the deep bonds of emotional dependency and brought healing into my heart. And showed me such deep satisfaction in Him alone. The outward struggles that He has delivered me from are all a result of the healing He has brought into my heart through His truth and love. His truth brings true freedom. His perfect love heals and restores.

Is my life perfect or free from struggles? Far from it. Yet God continues to show me grace and more grace in the journey. And He is teaching me to show myself grace when struggles still arise. 

Yet, why do I share all of this? Because when I listen to this song such emotion wells up inside of me. I can not help but give PRAISE, honor, and glory to GOD. My story is all about HIM. How HE is able to heal, restore, and redeem for HIS honor and glory. How He desires to bring greater freedom into each of our lives so we may know more of Him. More of His love and His presence. So we will have a testimony to share for His glory. 

Below are the full lyrics and a link to the song. And a picture that I love as it captures all of this...

This picture was taken the evening before my 30th birthday in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Overwhelmed and grateful for all He had done in my heart and life during the past 10 years. freedom, deliverance, and such love.

Life and Favor (You don't know my story) (LINK to song)

John P. Kee - Life And Favor (You Don'T Know My Story)

Some people have seen where God has brought you from.
They don't really understand it.
They don't know your story.

Chorus
You don’t know my story
You don’t know the things that I’ve come through
You cannot imagine
The pain, the trials I’ve had to endure
You don’t know my story
You don’t know the day you set me free
You cannot imagine
The strongholds and the walls that severed me
In all God has been faithful to me
He promised he would never leave me
My story proves that God can use me
Deliverance is my testimony
You don’t know…my story
It would blow your mind
You don’t know…my story

Say it LaJune

Verse
You don’t know my story
The anguish and the guilt that consumed me
Grateful I can tell it
For no more shall the shackles condemn me
You don’t know my story
For if you did you would lift up your hands
So just let me tell you and faith you may as well break out and dance

In all God has been faithful to me
He promised he would never leave me
My story proves that God can use me
And deliverance is my testimony
You don’t know…my story
It would blow your mind
You don’t know…my story

Bridge
Through my testimony and the blood of the Lamb
Delivered I am, now I have a testimony…Favor’s upon me
Grace and mercy, love and peace abound
Oh in you I’ve found a God that will not ever leave me
He won’t forsake me
You don’t know…my story

Vamp
I’m delivered, here’s my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
You don’t know it, let me tell it
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
God of mercy, he who loves me
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Oh, how wondrous is my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Can’t imagine, what I’ve gone through
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Can’t imagine, what I’ve gone through
Can’t imagine

(Eb)
I’m delivered, here’s my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
You don’t know it, let me tell it
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
God of mercy, he who loves me
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Oh how wondrous is my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Can’t imagine, what I’ve gone through
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out

I’m delivered, here’s my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Can’t imagine, what I’ve gone through
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
God of mercy, he who loves me
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out
Oh how wondrous is my story
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out

Can’t imagine, what I’ve gone through
Life and favor upon me, he brought me out

Life and favor upon me (repeat)