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Sure enough

February 13th, 2004 · No Comments

Abigail our five year old has been discovering some old songs playing on the radio. She’s particulary fond of an Amy Grant one, one that makes me remember Life Before Marriage. When it comes on the radio, Abigail exclaims “Oh it’s this one!” and then starts dancing around her bedroom. It’s as if the song belongs to our daughter.

I want to tell her, “Hey, do you know that your dad dedicated this song to your mom?” “Do you know that your parents danced to this before you were born?” “Do you know how your dad said these lyrics were about me?” When this song comes on, I can still see Ted’s apartment from thirteen years ago, the stereo in the living room there that’s now in our living room here, my then-boyfriend telling me how the lyrics reminded him of me and our relationship. I can still see the look in his eyes 😉

But I don’t say anything to Abigail. I’ll tell her someday. For the moment, I’ll let her make her own memories to the music. Although, when we went downstairs for dinner the other night, after she had danced to the radio in her room, I searched in the closet and found our CD of the same song, putting it into the stereo to play it again one more time for her – and for me.

There are a couple Amy Grant albums that played parts in our dating relationship. Heart in Motion, the one I took out the other night, and also the one prior to that one, Lead Me On, had some significant songs for us as a couple. Sure it’s late 80’s pop, pretty dated, bouncy and bubbly, but the music still has meaning to me. When I was learning to play guitar, I bought the book for Lead Me On so I could serenade Ted with some of the songs.

Sure Enough is one of my favorites. More than melodies, I like lyrics – memorizing and singing them easily as some other bloggers do – and I think the album Lead Me On has one of the best portraits of what love looks like long after the wedding and honeymoon days have passed, when you look in the mirror at yourself in your marriage, when you know you’re in it for the long haul and the haul seems long.

One reason the lyrics probably have meaning to me is because the song – and the album as a whole – hints at endurance in relationship, what it takes to stay around to make a marriage work. My parents divorced and in our early years of our marriage there were moments when leaving looked good to me too, easier than trying to stay around and work through the difficulties. It was hard. But by grasping to God and His grace, I stayed.

This year this song has been playing in my mind. I think perhaps because one of the lines reminds me of a post I wrote a few months ago. But also too for Ted and me, it is as if we are seeing sun after storm, spring after winter, emerging from the past few years of intensity, only stronger and more in love. It sounds sappy but it’s true. If a prophet had predicted to us all that we’ve experienced in our marriage, especially our time here in the Northwest, I’m not sure we would have believed it – or that we would have gotten married and gone through it all;)

But now, we both know even more how much we belong together.
I think it’s something stronger than words within us: a depth, a sense, a truth.
I never would have believed either how much in love we are, even more than Before Marriage, when we danced to music like our daughter does now.

I’m sure I’m staying now: I’d never want to be without you, Ted.


I’m laying it all out on the table
I’m telling you again what I’ve already told you before
My love is not a soon forgotten fable
My love is not a box with a lock at a five and dime store

So there’s no need to question me and my feelings,
oh, wondering if I am sure,
ask me again and I’ll tell you the same thing
over and over

Sure enough
to never want to be without you
Sure enough
to stay for good
Sure enough
in every little thing about you
Sure enough

Tags: music