I Can Only Hold You Now
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with the song any caregiver would sing. Imagine Ken singing this to me:
I know what this means;
I’m not unaware;
I understand the cost that I pay to care.
I see who you are;
I know how it’s been,
But I still love you now
Like I did way back when.The road turned, but I’m still here walking with you.
Right here, right now, that’s all we can do.
In this moment, I live my life with you.
I know there will be sorrow;
We’ll face that somehow.
But my hands can’t hold tomorrow,
They can only hold you now.
That’s not the entire song, but isn’t it beautiful? It’s a song a mother would sing to her little girl with cerebral palsy, or a father would sing to his boy with Down syndrome. It’s a song a wife would sing to her husband with traumatic brain injury, or a song that Ken Tada would sing to me, his quadriplegic wife. The words are so beautiful, so poignant — like, God is given us this moment, and who knows what his plans are in the future? But for right now, this moment, and for every moment God allows, I will hold you, I will take care of you, I will be by your side. Memories may fade, and some will fly away, but I will keep you safe and we still have today.
It’s a precious gift, this moment God gives for us to love each other, and take care of those he’s given us. Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” And with God holding our times in his hand we can have every confidence that he will take care of us in the days ahead, no matter who our caregivers are.
If you would like to hear the whole song, you have to visit joniandfriends.org/radio and enjoy it in its entirety. Plus, the Joni and Friends teams have set some beautiful images to the words and the melody. By the way, this song, “I Can Only Hold You Now” was written by my friend Peter Rosenberger in tribute to his wife, Gracie, who lives with chronic pain and has lost both her legs. If you’d like to download it, I’m providing a link to Peter’s website where you can learn more about this beautiful tune. So be blessed if you are a caregiver and be encouraged, be energized because you are taking the care of the ones that God loves and has given you. Visit joniandfriends.org/radio and enjoy this beautiful song “I Can Only Hold You Now.” When you have a chance today, just drop by joniandfriends.org.
© Joni and Friends
Music: “I Can Only Hold You Now,” written by Peter Rosenberger & Buddy Mondlock, ©2016, Gray Park Media, BMI & Fire of Change Music, ASCAP
