Uriah Heep and the Power of Grace

I got into the car this morning for work. When the car started, the radio just happened to be playing my favorite Uriah Heep song.

Stealin'

Take me across the water
'Cause I need some place to hide
I done the rancher's daughter
And I sure did hurt his pride, ah ha

Well, there's a hundred miles of desert lies
Between his hide and mine
I don't need no food 'n' no water, Lord
'Cause I'm running out of time

Fightin', killin', wine and women
Gonna put me to my grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin'
Nothing left to save but my life

Stood on a ridge and shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake
Stealing when I should have been buying

This is a simple song with a fairly straight forward point. The singer has lived for himself his whole life and his sin is finally catching up with him. I think one of the reasons that this song resonates so deeply with me is because I think that everyone that hasn’t lived their entire life under the sounds of the church bells has at some point gotten to the place where the singer is in the song. It’s a matter of where we go from there…

I don't need no food 'n' no water, Lord
'Cause I'm running out of time

On June 14^th, 1987 I had run out of time. I was about as strung out on Crystal Meth as someone can be. I was regularly staying up for almost a full week at a time. Every waking moment was spent looking for the next line. I would lie and steal from anyone, even my own family. I was incapable of functioning on any kind of normal level. My wife at the time had a stroke and all I cared about was how it would affect me.

Stood on a ridge and shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine

I was going to church at the time, had almost tried to develop a conscience, but when the rubber met the road, I was the most selfish bastard that I can imagine. People close to me and some of the sad people that I actually made live it with me know most of the depth of it; but inside of me it was an even blacker darkness than I can describe. It actually makes me physically ill to remember myself like that. Then, during the week leading up to the 14^th, I made the decisions that took me to the brink. I lost my wife, my kids, my job in the course of about 2 days. I had run out of time. I had to make a choice. My choice…

Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin'
Nothing left to save but my life

In less than 2 weeks I will be turning 51. By any normal stretch I am about 2/3 of the way around the course. I have been saved longer than I have been unsaved now, so I really have way less excuses now for the mistakes that I make. And while I am far, FAR from perfect, the perfect God allows me to fall into his grace again and again. I am more grateful for the grace of God now than ever and more grateful for a church that preaches the grace of God week in and week out. I have been able to touch in a small way many, many lives and for that I am grateful. I get the honor of allowing my gifting’s to be used on a church platform for God’s people. I get to serve with the greatest pastor I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I have an amazing woman of God who loves me, a son that wants to be like me, a huge group of kids that I can call mine. It is an overflowing blessing that I can’t contain. Nothing left to save, but my life.

Stood on a ridge and shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake
Stealing when I should have been buying

I was talking about 12 years ago to one of my old connections. He was talking at length about what it was like in the heyday of his dealing. Talking about the night he slept with 5 different ladies. Thinking the world was his. I heard he was back in town recently. He is blind and has to be led around by his kids, with nothing but the “Glory Days” to sustain him. It’s all about a choice…