“Warren’s Song” Song Story (“The Barn” Album)

 

Blog by Kristen Hicks

It’s crazy to me how a moment has the power to change the course of our life. One of those moments for me was one day back in 2009. I was with my sister-in-law, Valerie, and we were riding around town, doing who knows what. My aunt calls me and says her sister, Angie, and brother-in-law, Josh, wanted to offer me a job. The job was to be a nanny to their soon-to-be-born son, Warren. I would be able to live with them in their basement for free and they would pay me a little bit on top of that to help with other expenses. Valerie and I immediately called them, and they invited us over right at that moment. After talking to them about their expectations and seeing the apartment, I told them I would pray about it. Then after a week or so, I accepted the job.

The back story of this encounter is that I had been specifically praying for the Lord to provide a place for me to live once my brother, Jeremy moved to San Diego. My prayer went something like this… “Lord, you know my situation. You know my heart. You know that I don’t have enough money to actually rent a place. You know that the job that I have right now, doesn’t actually, pay enough for me to do that. So I am looking at You as my Provider. Will you provide a place for me to live, when Jeremy moves out?” I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that this particular week that my aunt called, was also the same week that Jeremy had figured out where he was going to live when we moved. The Lord is faithful like that.

The funny thing is, that when I came home to tell my parents that I was going to take the job. They laughed at me. Because little-known fact, I hated babysitting. It was actually never something I had enjoyed. However, it didn’t matter, I knew it would be different, it would be like it was when my younger siblings were born. I grew with them. I knew them. And I knew that I would do the same with the little guy I was going to be taking care of every day.

What I didn’t expect, was that I would fall completely, head over heels, in love with this kid. I didn’t expect for my heart to expand the way it did. I didn’t expect for my idea family to grow. I didn’t expect the things that the Lord developed in me. The way He taught me and challenged me, similarly to the way He does with a new mother. I didn’t expect to learn to love beyond myself. I didn’t expect to find myself sitting in a rocking chair, feeding this little, baby boy, with his huge blue eyes staring up at me, and it move my heart to pray for him—to pray for his heart, that it would always belong to God, that he would always have a desire to pursue Him. To pray for his future, the kind of man he would become, the woman he would marry, the husband he would be, the father he would become. I didn’t expect any of this. I didn’t expect for this little kid to change me at all. I was just thankful for the Lord answering my prayer for a new job and place to live.

But He did more than that. He didn’t just change my heart. He MOVED my heart. He shifted it. And I have absolutely no doubt that it looks more like His than it ever has.

This song came out of a prayer. It was more like if I could tell this precious kid that the Lord has trusted me with and that I have the honor of growing with and taking care of, what would I want to say to him? If I could leave him with a piece of my heart for him what would I want him to know, more than anything else?

Verse 1

As you rub those big, blue eyes

And you hold your blanket tight

Know that God is watching over you.

You don’t have to be afraid

When storms in life may come your way

He loves you more than words could ever say

Pre-Chorus

So close your eyes

He’s by your side

Chorus

So you can dream of greater things,

There is nothing that’s impossible 

Just know that He will always lead the way

Rest in peace, cause He will keep

You close and wrapped up in His great big arms

He’ll never let you get too far away

His love will never change

(Ending: Even in your darkest days,

He’Il always stay the same)

He’s got the whole world in His hands

Verse 2

And as you grow up big and strong

Think about this simple song

And know that God is watching over you

When you want to run away

From things in life you cannot change

Remember He is just a prayer away

I know I am not a mother. I’m not sure at this point in my life if I ever will be. But I will always be thankful for this season that the Lord saw me fit to gift me with the opportunity to learn like one. For Him, to teach me more about His heart for us as His children, more about His love, more about the way He sees us, holds us, disciplines us, and moves us. This will always be one of my favorite seasons by far. And I will forever, be thankful for that moment that changed everything.