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"Grace is in Our Hands©"
Lyrics by M.S. McKenzie | Performed by American Storyteller Music & is Protected by Copyright

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Sample Track ( KEY: | BPM: ): Grace is in Our Hands (Version I)

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Sample Track ( KEY: | BPM: ): Grace is in Our Hands (Version Ib)

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Sample Track ( KEY: | BPM: ): Grace is in Our Hands (version II)

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Sample Track ( KEY: | BPM: ): Grace is in Our Hands (Version III)

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Original Song Lyrics: Written by M. S. McKenzie, All Rights Reserved

"Grace is in Our Hands"

[BPM: 145]
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
The morning casts a soft and forgiving glow
Across roads we've taken ...both high and low
Every scar and every stumble is written in the sand
Truth invites a kinder reading...
...if we would only understand

[Chorus]
Let our past be sown seeds, not chains that bind
Love grows where mutual empathy meets time
We really can just start again...
...just breathe, and let your mind expand
Hope is ours to kindle for grace is in our hands

[Verse 2]
I see your eyes storm clouded, heavy, and worn
Carrying the mistakes you thought you'd sworn
Darkness you thought you'd shoulder...
...hear this humble truth:
Your heart can re-imagine what it lost in youth

[Verse 3]
We stand as mirrors, catching one another's light
Mending cracks together, our inner glow stays bright
There is no altar needed, only open hearts that truly see
The better world emerging...
...because of our shared humanity

[Bridge]
Every pardon freely given is like a river turned to gold
It carves a softer landscape through the canyons of our soul
When we own this hurt, we've fashioned...
...When we let our sorrows speak aloud
Our compassion floods these dark valleys...
...and lifts us up the mountain, riding upon a cloud

[Verse 4]
So write tomorrow's story with a kind and gentle pen tonight
Hold each nameless burden in a warmer, wiser light
Forgiveness isn't distant—never fenced for the chosen few
It lives within our keeping...
...and springs to life when I forgive in you

[Chorus]
Let our past be sown seeds, not chains that bind
Love grows where mutual empathy meets time
Forgiveness lives within us...
...not reserved for just chosen strands
Hope is ours to kindle for grace is in our hands

[Final  Chorus]
We really can just start again...
...just breathe, and let your mind expand
Hope is ours to kindle for grace is in our hands

[Outro: Instrumental]

Song Description:

"Grace is in Our Hands" is a deeply moving and spiritually resonant song that explores themes of forgiveness, empathy, and redemption. It presents a powerful message that grace is not a distant, divine concept but a tangible force that humans can cultivate and share with one another. Through its poetic lyrics and evocative imagery, the song guides the listener on a journey from acknowledging past pains to embracing a future built on mutual compassion and understanding.

Narrative and Thematic Analysis

The song opens with a gentle and forgiving atmosphere, as the "morning casts a soft and forgiving glow." This sets the stage for a narrative of reflection on life's journey, with its "scars" and "stumbles." The lyrics suggest that our past mistakes are not permanent stains but are "written in the sand," capable of being reshaped by a "kinder reading" if we approach them with understanding.

The chorus serves as the song's central thesis, a powerful call to action. It contrasts the imprisoning nature of the past ("chains that bind") with the potential for growth ("sown seeds"). This metaphor beautifully illustrates the choice we have in how we view our history. The core message is that love and new beginnings flourish where "mutual empathy meets time." The declaration, "grace is in our hands," empowers the listener, framing grace as an active, human-to-human exchange rather than something passively received from a higher power.

The verses delve into the personal and interpersonal aspects of this theme. The second verse shows deep empathy for another's pain, recognizing their "storm clouded, heavy, and worn" eyes. It offers a "humble truth": that one's heart can "re-imagine what it lost in youth," suggesting that healing and renewal are always possible. The third verse expands this idea to a communal level, using the powerful image of humans as "mirrors, catching one another's light." This speaks to a shared humanity where we collectively mend our broken pieces and brighten our "inner glow." The song posits that true sacredness is found not in formal rituals ("no altar needed") but in "open hearts that truly see."

The bridge offers some of the song's most profound imagery. It likens the act of giving pardon to a "river turned to gold," a force that can carve a "softer landscape through the canyons of our soul." This metaphor powerfully conveys the transformative and beautifying power of forgiveness. By "owning" our hurt and letting our "sorrows speak aloud," we invite a flood of compassion that can lift us from our "dark valleys."

The final verses and choruses bring the song's message to a conclusive and hopeful resolution. The act of writing "tomorrow's story with a kind and gentle pen" is a call to conscious forgiveness, both of oneself and others. The song concludes by reaffirming that forgiveness is not an exclusive gift for a "chosen few" but a universal potential that "lives within our keeping" and "springs to life when I forgive in you."

Musical and Lyrical Style

With a beats-per-minute of 145, the song likely has an uplifting and forward-moving tempo, reinforcing its themes of hope and progress. The lyrical style is rich with natural and elemental imagery: sand, seeds, rivers, mountains, clouds; which grounds its profound spiritual concepts in the tangible world.

Ultimately, "Grace is in Our Hands" is an anthem of empowerment and interconnectedness. It challenges listeners to redefine grace as a shared human responsibility and a powerful tool for healing. It is a reminder that by offering forgiveness and empathy, we not only mend the world around us but also find our own path to wholeness.