Muddwolf

Peace, My Child Be Still

The Dream, The Song, And The Failure

“Like an artist you reveal yourself. You open up your insides. That’s what you do.” Gavin O’Connor, Director of The Way Back

     This was going to be added to “Behind the Songs” section but I felt it was more important to move and have it be in its own section.  I was going through some very hard times in my head once.  Frustrated with everything. At one moment, I just wanted to die. While sitting at the kitchen table alone and just thinking about life I swear I heard a voice say “peace my child be still.” Call me crazy but at that point I grabbed a pen, paper, and started writing my feelings down and the emotions I was going through. 

Rick Rubin in his book “The Creative Act: A Way Of Being” says:

     “If you are fortunate enough to experience the strike of inspiration, take full advantage of the access. Remain in the energy of this verified moment for as long as it lasts. When, flowing, keep it going.”

     So I did and here’s what I wrote:

Peace, My Child Be Still

Oh Lord can you help me

I’m struggling everyday

I need to read the Bible

And everyday I need to pray

But I keep dealing with emotions

That life puts me through

Oh God give me the courage to call upon you

There’s too much pain in this world

No place to run or hide

You reach out to those who are hurting, the troubles deep inside

How can I go on? How can I make it through?

Oh God give me the courage to call upon you

And you say “peace my child be still.”

Peace, my child be still

I love you and I’ll never leave you

So peace my child be still

I’m walking into the valley

It’s sunny but I see rain

I keep on moving forward

Dealing with so much pain

I know the past is behind me and that I am made new

Oh God give me the courage to call upon you

Chorus

Your Son died on the cross

So I can live another day

You lifted Him up from the grave

Washing all my sins away

Please keep reminding me of your love

Of what you did and always do

Oh God give me the courage to call upon you

(Loud)

And you say “peace my child be still.”

Peace, my child be still

I love you and  I’ll never leave you

So peace  my child be still

And you say “peace my child be still.”

Peace, my child be still

I love you and  I’ll never leave you

So peace my child be still

Here’s what I mean by the song:

     “Oh Lord can you help me? I’m struggling every day.”

      It’s a “thorn in my flesh” like…Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 12:7 (had to look it up).  Maybe there’s something you’re having an issue with and it doesn’t seem to stop. Like me having tinnitus. My wife with arthritis etc. So how can I get help on this?

     “I need to read the Bible and every day I need to pray.”

     Maybe whatever it is that’s bothering you won’t go away right away or at all but it’s comforting to just read here and there plus seek help.

     I’m no pastor or anything but I’ve found verses in Psalms that have been helpful and prayer, though at times I slip up by not praying daily, has been helpful.

     “But I keep dealing with emotions that life puts me through.”

     Excuses, excuses, excuses right? Somethings are hard to face. You look back, for example, and can get depressed over something. But we need to move forward.

“Oh God give me the courage to call upon you.”

     Courage to call upon God?! Maybe strength. But singing ‘strength’ in the song would come out weird. Courage is defined as “strength in the face of pain or grief.”  I think that fits perfectly. When faced with terrible pain, fear, etc I think praying is a pretty powerful tool to have in these circumstances. Plus God is all powerful. We are all just a grain of sand on a small beach on a huge planet in a huge universe. Yet God looks at this one grain, you,  and says “perfect.” You may feel unworthy etc in this big world but God looks at you and finds you worthy of being loved and more. No, I’m not on drugs. I’m just thinking of how small we are and how powerful He is. Thinking this made me think of the times I thought that at any minute I could get snuffed out. Life would still go on but without me. That’s depressing. (Grabs a sip of iced-coffee with sugar-free coffee creamer Cinnamon Roll flavor).  Right. Courage. Not afraid to talk to God but just in wonder of Him. So I’m shakin at this point in the song and then God talks to me.

     “And you say ‘peace my child be still.”

     So much can be said about this. “Be still and know that I am God” is in the Bible along with Jesus stopping a storm. We get so wound up with everything going on in the world that many times we just need to pause.

     “I’m walking into the valley. It’s sunny but I see rain.”

     Easy. You should be happy but you’re not.

“I keep on moving forward. Dealing with so much pain.”

This I did for my wife. She’s got Arthritis, anxiety, physical pains, menopause, maybe some work stress, and married to me.

“I know the past is behind me and that I’ve been made new. Oh God give me the courage to call upon you.”

It’s been said that when Satan reminds you of the past and all you’ve done wrong etc then remind him of his future where he’s cast into Hell. Bible also talks about putting on the new self and getting rid of the old.

Chorus then final verse which I’ll go into in another chapter.

     I was so excited after I wrote this that I paid to have the song made, sung, along with music notes for people to be able to play it, began to buy material so I can mail this song out to churches so they can play them, and dreamed this would become a hit. I wrote up a poem, put in links to the song, and gave the churches my contact information. But what churches would  I send this to? I decided I would do 20 churches. I called it “The Peace My Child Be Still Project” and it’ll get hundreds of people’s attention.Venture Christian Church UPDATE 3/9/23 I met one of the worship team members who said: “You’re not alone. So many people give us songs and we just can’t play them. Nothing to do with you at all. Even Tim gives us songs and we just can’t. If we did, everyone would be wanting their song played. It’s great man thanks but like the many other songs it can’t fit in it.” UPDATE 2/9/23 VENTURE RECEIVED AND RESPONDED: “Thanks, I’ll check it out. We already have our songs structured but I’ll listen and let you know next week.” Another update: “shep liked the song we all did but yeah hey thanks anyways.” 3/5/23. 2025:

1. Venture Christian Church UPDATE 3/9/23 “You’re not alone. So many people give us songs and we just can’t play them. Nothing to do with you at all. Even Tim gives us songs and we just can’t. If we did, everyone would be wanting their song played. It’s great man thanks but like the many other songs it can’t fit in it.” UPDATE 2/9/23 VENTURE RECEIVED AND RESPONDED: “Thanks, I’ll check it out. We already have our songs structured but I’ll listen and let you know next week.”Mailed 1/26)Church on the Hill (Good friends) +1 (408) 265-9000. UPDATE: No 
2. (Left message 2/14/23 and 2/25/23)Mailed 1/26 Harvest Christian Fellowship (Greg Laurie) +1 (951) 687-6902
3. Emailed and messaged 2/24/23 MAILED 2-21-23. 2/14/23 Legacy Church in Downey LA. +1 (562) 923-1261
4. MAILED 2/13/23 Valley Church 1 (408) 739-4642 not up to technology
5. (Emailed 2/14/23)(MAILED 2/3/23)Victory Outreach near snell +1 (408) 578-0800
6. MAILED 2-21-23 WestGate Church +1 (408) 252-3700
7. Wrong number MAILED 2/13/23 Calvary Chapel +1 (408) 272-3636
8. LM 3/6/23Tonny music dept MAILED 2-21-23 Stonebriar 4801 Legendary Drive
   Frisco TX 75034 Chuck Swindoll. +1 (469) 252-5200
9. EMAILED 2/14/23 Mailed 2/3/23) First Baptist Atlanta | 4400 North Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30338 (Charles Stanley)
10. Emailed 2/14/23 MAILED 2/3/23)  TAGGED Eagles Landing First Baptist Church 2400 SR-42, McDonough GA 30253 Casting Crowns
11. MESSAGED 2/25/23 MAILED 2/10/23 Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Sun Valley, CA 91352 John MacArthur
12. MAILED 2/10/23 Shadow Mtn Comminity church David Jeremiah
13. Emailed 3/7/23 MAILED 2/13/23 Family Community Church 478 Pierce Road, San Jose, CA 95138
14. MAILED 2/13/23 New Mt. Rose Baptist Church2864 Mississippi Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104 (Kirk Franklin)
15. MAILED 2/10/23 Nineteenth Street Baptist Church 4606 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20011 (Obama)
16. Emailed 3/7/23 Emailed 2/14/23 MAILED 2/3/23New River Fellowship 1153 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin, TN  37064 (Michael W. Smith)
17. MAILED 2/13/23 White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ 3201 N Seventh St. West Monroe, LA  71291 (Duck Dynasty)
18. MAILED 2-21-23 Shepherd Church 19700 Rinaldi St. Porter Ranch, CA 91326 United States (Candace) +1 (229) 883-1910
19. Left message/email 2/14/23 Mailed 1/26) Sherwood Baptist Church Kendrick’s go here.  +1 (229) 883-1910
20. Left message/email 2/14/23 Mailed 1/26 Sherwood Baptist Church Kendrick’s who make great movies go here.    

 I had a dream as they were being sent out that one of them or more would get back to me. Somewhere in this expensive hobby of mine someone would get back to me.

 A fantasy starts:

     I check my email and there’s YouTube comments from a Jeremy Camp and TobyMac both saying they love the song.

     Another email.

     “Hi, Dave. This is Mark Hall of Casting Crowns (one of my wife’s top Christian bands). We received your letter that you had in the manila folder, very creative. Our music leader at church, played your song and loves it. In fact our whole congregation loves it! When I heard it myself I thought I’ve gotta meet this guy. I don’t know if you heard of the Kendrick brothers movies (Facing the Giants, War Room and more) but they also heard your song once I told them about it and they would like it in their new movie.

Anyways the band and I would love to meet you. We could fly over there or fly you and your family here. Let me know.” Personal contact info is then mentioned along with Alex Kendrick’s contact info.

     Another fantasy I see a video on YouTube of people playing my song at churches etc.

Sadly, no one got back to me. Hundreds of dollars spent for what?

Again. NO ONE got back to me.