Matthew West Album

Is this the end?
Or only the beginning?
The second chance
You never thought you'd get

The question is
Will you do something with it
Or spend your days
Lost in your regreat

This is the story of your life
You decide
How the rest is gonna read
This is your chance between the lines
To redefine what kind of legacy you leave
This is the story of your life
And it's a story worth telling

Breathe in deep
Feel your heart still breathing
Let's go see the reason you're alive
Oh, you are here
and love is up to something
So take your fear
and leave it all behind

This is the story of your life
You decide
How the rest is gonna read
This is your chance between the lines
To redefine what kind of legacy you leave
This is the story of your life
And it's a story worth telling

This is the joy
And it's the pain
And all the pages in between
Your finest hour
Your weakest moment
It where you've been
It's where you are
It's where you're going

This is the story of your life
You decide
How the rest is gonna read
This is your chance between the lines
To redefine the kind of legacy you leave
This is the story of your life
Go tell the story of your life
Cause it's a story worth telling
It's worth telling

Is this the end?
Or only the beginning?

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I've never gone hungry or always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket shoes on my feet
In my own little world
Population me
I try to stay awake through the Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts
and I turn off the news when I don't like what I see
it's easy to do when it's
population me
What if there's a bigger picture
what if I'm missing out
What if there's a greater purpose
I could be living right now
outside my own little world
Stopped at the red light, looked out my window
Outside the car, saw a sign, said "Help this homeless widow"
Just above this sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, "God, what have I been doing?"
So I rolled down my window and I looked her in the eye
Oh how many times have I just passed her by
I gave her some money then I drove on through
in my own little world there's
Population two
What if there's a bigger picture
what if I'm missing out
What if there's a greater purpose
I could be living right now
outside my own little world
Start breaking my heart for what breaks Yours
give me open hands and open doors
put Your light in my eyes and let me see
that my own little world is not about me

You must
You must think I'm strong
To give me what I'm going through

Well, forgive me
Forgive me if I'm wrong
But this looks like more than I can do
On my own

I know I'm not strong enough to be
everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
For the both of us

Well, maybe
Maybe that's the point
To reach the point of giving up

Cause when I'm finally
Finally at rock bottom
Well, that's when I start looking up
And reaching out

I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

Cause I'm broken
Down to nothing
But I'm still holding on to the one thing
You are God
and you are strong
When I am weak

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

Oh, yeah

I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
Strong enough

You didn't ask for this
Nobody ever would
Caught in the middle of this dysfunction
It's yoursad reality
It's your messed up family tree
And all your left with all these questions

Are you gonna be like your father was and his father was?
Do you have to carry what they've handed down?

No, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

I have a dream for you
It's better than where you've been
It's bigger than your imagination
You're gonna find real love
And you're gonna hold your kids
You'll change the course of generations

No, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

Cause you're my child
You're my chosen
You are loved
You are loved

And I will restore
All that was broken
You are loved
You are loved

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're brining new life to your family tree now
Yes you are
You are

No, this will be your legacy
This will be your destiny
Yesterday did not define you
No, this will be your legacy
This will be your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're brining new life to your family tree now

Well it breaks my heart
Every time I see the world break yours in two
You know those lies ain't true
When you let 'em get to you,
Being you is hard to be, I see.

These days sticks and stones
Sound like paradise
Compared to those harsh words
They're rather cut you down than hold you
But they don't know you like I know you
If they did I know they'd see,
Yes they would see...

To me you are
Heaven's finest invention by far
So much brighter than the brightest star
And what I'd give to make you see
Who you are to me

All your so called friends
Said they'd be there to the bitter end
But I won't be just like the others
I'm gonna show you my true colors
You can't ever make me leave
No, no, I won't ever leave

To me you are
Heaven's finest invention by far,
Even brighter than the brightest star
And what i'd give to make you see
Who you are to me

When you laugh it's my favorite song
And all the gray is gone
Every single time I see you smile,
I just haven't seen it in awhile

So go on and dream
Bigger dreams than this town's ever seen before
There are just two kinds of people:
Ones who say you're just not able
And the ones who change the world
And you're gonna change the world

To me you are
Heaven's finest invention by far
Even brighter than the brightest star
And what I'd give to make you see
Who you are to me
...to me.

There's a child
Been abandoned out on the street
Now she's waiting for someone to be her miracle

There's a wife
Somewhere halfway around the world
Begging God for a litte girl she can call her own

Well, worlds collide
And colors fade
And a man and wifre
Brought their little girl home today

And there's one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Yeah, there's one less
One less
There's one less broken heart in the world tonight

We are called
To the widows and the orphans
But it's easy to ignore their silent crys
Oh, but every single time
Somebody reaches into the darkness
Makes a choice to help the helpless
They let mercy save a life

And there's one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Yeah, there's one less
One less
Yeah, there's one less broken heart in the world tonight

Well the truth is we are all the orphans
But love has left the 99 just to find the one

So let worlds collide
Colors fade
Let your life
Be the miracle today

One less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Tonight I know there's one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight

One less child without a home
One less birthday gone forgotten
One more soul rising from the bottom

One less night alone
One less child without a home
One less birthday gone forgotten
One more soul rising from the bottom

One less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight

Well, Mom found her a new place to live
And Dad found him a new girlfriend
Looks like every- body's moving on
And it's, "Hey, look on the bright side kid,
Now you've got two Christmases
And it's every other weekend from now on"
Yeah, but all I want is the way it was
When love would always last forever
And families stayed together

Back to the day before two houses
When they held my hands when I was little
Before I got caught in the middle
Somewhere in between two houses

'Cause these two houses sure don't feel like home
Wide-eyed wonder grows up fast
Trust is shot and nothing lasts
And I'm thinking maybe it was all my fault
And will I ever get back to
The innocence that I once knew
Before that Summer turned into Fall
When I close my eyes, I go back in time

I heard about a love that never leaves
So I'm asking you to show me
I'm talking to You down here on my knees
Feels like You've always known me

When love would always last for- ever
And families stayed together
Back to the day before two houses
You were holding my hand when I was little
You were there when I was in the middle
Somewhere in between two houses
These two houses
These two houses
But tonight my heart has finally found a home

You've been dropped like a dream to the floor
You've been told not to try anymore
But you're wakened from yesterday's war
Cause you're a survivor

And your strength has been stolen away
And your faith has been worn to a fray
But you live to live on one more day
Cause you're a survivor

And nothing can stop you now
Nothing can back you down
You never give up
You never give in
You're a survivor

For the phone call that tore you apart
For the fear that gripped your heart
For the moment you saw who you are
And what you're made of

For the cancer that stole all your hair
For the smile like you just don't care
For your hope in midnight prayer
You're a survivor

And nothing can stop you now
Nothing can back you down
You never give up
You never give in
You're a survivor

I'm convinced neither death nor life
Neither demons or angels of light
Shadows present a future bright
Can seperate us

From the love that will lead us on
To the hope when all hope is gone
Til the day heaven calls us home
We are survivors

And nothing can stop us now
Nothing can back us down
We never give up
We never give in

And nothing can stop us now
Nothing can back us down
We never give up
We never give in
Cause we are survivors

We are
We are
Yeah
We are survivors
We are survivors

Look what he's done to you
It isn't fair
Your light was bright and new
But he didn't care
He took the heart of a little girl
And made it grow up too fast

Now words like "innocence"
Don't mean a thing
You hear the music play
But you can't sing
Those pictures in your mind
Keep you locked up inside your past

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless they made you feel
There is a Love they can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl

Those damaged goods you see
In your reflection
Love sees them differently
Love sees perfection
A beautiful display
Of healing on the way tonight
Tonight

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless they made you feel
There is a Love they can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl

Let your tears touch to the ground
Lay your shattered pieces down
And be amazed by how Grace can take a broken girl
And put her back together again

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless they made you feel
There is a Love they can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl
You don't have to stay the broken girl

There are no words in times like these
When tears don't hide the tragedies
And all you want is a reason for the world

No comfort in the greeting card
Cause God is good
But life's still hard
and your heart just wants a reason for the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

For God so loved your broken heart
He sent his son to where you are
and he died
To give a reason for the world

So lift your sorrows to the one
Whose plan for you has just begun
And rests here in the hands that hold the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

Well I know your past the point of broken
Surrounded by your frea
i KNOW you're faint and tired and lonely
from the road that you walked down here
But just keep your eyes on heaven
and know that you are not alone
remember the reason for the world

No ear has heard
No eye has seen
Not even in your wildest dreams
A beauty that awaits beyond this world
When you look into the eyes of grace
and hear the voice of mercy say
Child, welcome to the reason for the world

You have carried the weight of your secret for way too long
Thinking if there is a place called forgiveness you don't belong
Oh, but freedom can never be found behind those walls
So just let 'em fall
Just let 'em fall

Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun

How long has it been since you've felt anything but shame
Child, lift up your eyes cause mercy remembers your name
And those tears you've been holding back
Let 'em fall like rain
Cause today is the day
Yeah today is the day

Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Yeah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Just lift your eyes
Lay it down
What once was lost
Has now been found
Oh, oh

There's a world full of people dying from broken hearts
Holding on to their guilt thinking they fell too far
So don't be afraid to show them your beautiful scars
Cause they're the proof
Yeah, you're the proof

Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
I believe
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun
Oh, the healing has begun