The other day, my friend Debbie Berkley put up a post on her blog, Taking the Ring, which reminded me of this song, and it’s been stuck in my head since. So, since I wanted to get back to doing songs of the week anyway, here it is:
Small Graces
Sometimes they slip by without notice;
Sometimes they’re very hard to see.
Other times it’s all so clear
When they’re happening to me.
Bright penny on the sidewalk,
Can’t buy nothin’ by itself;
But when I hold it in my hand
It’s a tiny piece of priceless wealth.
These are the small graces,
Little moments when the miracles come.
These are the small graces,
Small graces leading me to the larger ones.
A smile that is not automatic,
That lingers on a little more
Than the time it takes to count my change,
The time it takes to close the drawer.
Chorus
Small graces surely have a meaning
Beyond their merely passing by;
They are a reminder to the heart
There’s more to life than meets the eye.
Cheerful greetings unexpected
Shared by strangers on the run,
For when the sky is clouded over
Still the promise of the sun
Is in the small graces,
The little moments when the miracles come.
These are the small graces,
Small graces pointing me to the larger ones.
Small graces,
Little glimpses of the Kingdom come
From unexpected places—
These are the small graces.
Words and music: Bob Bennett
©1997 Bright Avenue Songs
From the album Small Graces, by Bob Bennett
Thanks so much for posting “Small Graces”. I’m always grateful when one of my songs continues to have meaning long after its first release out into the world (1997). Best regards, Bob Bennett (www.bob-bennett.com)
Speaking of small graces . . . It’s a wonderful feeling to pull up a blog post and find a comment by one of my very favorite singer/songwriters. Bob Bennett, Michael Card, Rich Mullins, Andrew Peterson, Charlie Peacock, Carolyn Arends, Derek Webb (though so far I don’t think I’ve posted any of his yet) . . . those who read this blog (all three of you) have an idea how much these folks’ songs mean in my life (along with the works of the great hymnwriters, the likes of Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and Paul Gerhardt); to get a response is a blessing, and I thank you.
I should note, I’ve been singing my daughters to sleep ever since our oldest was born–I sing them the songs I love, and they learn to love them too; and among the ones I sing them the most, Bob Bennett is well-represented. In particular, I think “Mountain Cathedrals” might just be my older two’s all-time favorite song. (I’ve certainly heard both of them singing it often enough.)
One other point to mention, because it was a delight to me: according to Jay Rinkel’s fansite, Bob Bennett has a new album coming out, hopefully this year. Good news.