TO LIVE IS CHRIST

by Stan C. Countz

You win some and you lose some
Got an inside bet on a long shot
Gonna let it ride ‘cuz I’m on a run
And I gotta play the cards I’ve got
Gotta strike while the iron is hot

Tryin’ to dot my “I”s and cross my “t”s
To pay my debt to society
I can’t quite yet do just what I please
Got no regrets; I’m on my best behavior
I’m on my knees and I need a savior

After all, what’s the matter
with heeding the call?
‘Cuz there’s nothing sadder
Than riding an escalator or climbing a ladder
That’s leaning against the wrong wall
And, sooner or later, even the high and mighty
Are bound to fall

Gotta know when to hit and when to stay
When to quit and when to play
When to split and walk away
So you can play another day

I can hoard my wealth or give it away
I can lose my health or use my brain
Either way, it never helps to complain
‘Cuz this world will stay the same
Unless we do somethin’ to change it
Gotta try to rearrange it
And make it a better place
I’m still amazed by His amazing grace

Was it worth the cost? Was it worth the pain?
What have we lost and what have we gained?
He endured the cross and took away our sin and shame
He paid the ultimate cost and on Him was our burden laid
He became sin for us; so join in the chorus
To live is Christ and to die is gain

Like dusty rose petals without a drop of rain
When the dust finally settles, what will still remain?
Like Hansel and Gretel, we must’ve lost our way
So test our mettle and help us find our way… home

And roll away the stone that holds my heart
I’m made of flesh and bone but I’m falling apart
I’ll know as I am known so take and hone me
Shape and mold me and make me your own

I’m prone to roam and wander
Far away from hearth and home
I stop and start to ponder
Why I feel so lost and all alone

Like a ship that’s tossed and torn
I’m lost in a raging storm
I’ve been blessed and I’ve been burned
So I guess by now I’ve learned
To blow my own horn

Maybe He wants to see what makes me tick
What makes me glad and what makes me sick
Who I really am and what I’m made of
What makes me mad and what I’m afraid of
When I’m alone in the dark

He’s looking for the spark that ignites me
So He can light me like a candle
For all the world to see
He invites me to embark on a journey of discovery
Of life-long learning and recovery
Of discerning what I was put here to do and be
So I’m gonna open up my heart and mind
And I will surely find the answer
‘Cuz this world has a cancer
That is here to stay
But the cure is only a prayer away
To live is Christ and to die is gain