More Than Just the Way I Am

(You may listen to a recent recording of this song here. A free lead sheet is available here.)

 Although I'm not like the prophet Daniel
 With vast knowledge and wisdom and power,
 I praise the Lord every day of my life for making me
 Just the way I am.

 Just the way I am, just the way I am,
 The Lord made me just the way I am.
 Just the way I am, just the way I am,
 The Lord made me just the way I am.

 No, I'm not like the prophet Daniel;
 My abilities are nothing like his.
 But I thank the Lord every day of my life for making me
 Just the way I am.

 Just the way I am, just the way I am,
 God uses me just the way I am.
 Just the way I am, just the way I am,
 God uses me just the way I am.

 How I long to be more like my Savior;
 He's merciful and loving and kind.
 So I pray for him to keep growing me
 Into more than just the way I am.
 More than just the way I am,
 More than just the way I am,
 I pray He'll grow me into more than
 Just the way I am.

About This Song:

Roger-2021
Although I don’t normally republish a post until at least three years after the original posting, I have a special reason for doing it this time. I originally published this song in January as “Just the Way I Am,” but a couple of months ago I felt led to add a third stanza. With that change I decided to rename it “More than Just the Way I Am” and share the change here.

Because the Bible study class I’m in has been in Revelation for several years now, I’ve read through Revelation at home three or four times. In fact I’m reading it again now. After considering what Daniel prophesied about end times I turned my attention to the book of Daniel. The day after I started I ran into these verses from Daniel 2: 20-23a

 May the name of God
 be praised forever and ever,
 for wisdom and power belong to Him.
 ²¹He changes the times and seasons;
 He removes kings and establishes kings.
 He gives wisdom to the wise
 and knowledge to those
 who have understanding.
 ²²He reveals the deep and hidden things;
 He knows what is in the darkness,
 and light dwells with Him.
 ²³I offer thanks and praise to You,
 God of my fathers,
 because You have given me
 wisdom and power.

Something in those verses suggested a song for me to write, but it took a while (days, maybe weeks) to catch on that the Daniel passage could effectively be linked to Psalm 139 without actually attempting to set either passage to music as such.

God has created each of us intentionally. He didn’t mass produce us. Each of us is unique. So although I don’t have Daniel’s abilities, I’ll bet I have some he didn’t have. And God has a use for each of them. A use that’s just as important in its own way as Daniel’s abilities.

So I’m not going to be jealous of other people’s abilities any more than I am of Daniel’s. We’re all important in God’s eyes, and we’re all useful to God if we allow Him to use us.

Please check back here again next Wednesday or, better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

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About Roger E. Bruner

Seventy-five-year-old Roger E. Bruner is the author and publisher of twenty Christian novels and the writer of more than two hundred Christian songs and choruses, a handful of musical dramas, and a number of shorter works. He sings, plays guitar and bass, and records his original songs in his home studio. He is active in his church's nursing home ministry He also plays bass guitar on the church raise team. Married for seventeen years to Kathleen, he has one grown daughter. Kathleen has two. Roger enjoys reading, moderate exercise, photography and book cover design (he's done all of his own except for Rosa No-Name), playing Snood, making walking sticks, and complaining about the state of the nation while continuing to pray for it.

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