Love Made Me Strong :1 Corinthians 13 1-13

[Intro] Homemade sweetness on a chipped blue plate Hard-earned lessons taught me how to wait Mama said, “Girl, don't let the world make you cold” So I carried my heart while I learned to be bold I’ve cried in the kitchen, prayed on the floor Walked through some storms I couldn't ignore But somewhere between the heartbreak and the flame I found out love was stronger than the pain [Verse 1] I could know every answer, speak with perfect grace Move every mountain standing in my way I could give everything, put my whole life on the line But without love, baby, none of it shines I learned love ain't shouting just to prove it's right It knows how to whisper when you're ready to fight It doesn't keep a record of every scar It doesn't need applause just to know who you are It won't envy another woman's crown It won't build itself by tearing somebody down It tells the truth, but it doesn't use truth as a knife It brings a little mercy back into your life [Pre-Chorus] I've been through the cold nights I've wrestled with fear I've talked to my angels When nobody was near And every time I thought I couldn't make it through Something deep inside me said, “Girl, love will carry you” [Chorus] I'm still here, still here Heart wide open, vision clear I've been broken, I've been bruised But I won't let bitterness choose I can fight without becoming cruel I can stand without losing my soul Through every storm, through every tear Love kept calling, “You're still here” [Verse 2] Teeth clenched, cold sweat, fighting shadows in my room Old memories tried to tell me I was doomed But I stopped feeding every voice that wanted me afraid Started turning every wound into a lesson I could take I used to fold when the whole sky turned black Now I walk straight through and I don't look back Every “you ain't enough” became a warning sign Every scar became a piece of strength in mine I don't need revenge to prove that I survived I don't need to hurt you just to feel alive I can leave the door closed, pray, and let it go That's a different kind of power most people never know [Pre-Chorus] I don't have all the answers I can't see the whole road But faith keeps me moving When I'm carrying a heavy load What I understand today Is only part of the view But I'm learning to trust What God is bringing me through [Chorus] I'm still here, still here Hands up, heart clear I've been through the fire But the fire didn't take me I got love in my chest And nobody can break me I can cry and still stand I can bend and still grow I can forgive and walk away When it's time to let go Through every storm, through every tear Love kept calling, “You're still here” [Bridge] Love waits when patience gets hard Love gives grace when life leaves a scar Love doesn't celebrate somebody else's fall It reaches for the truth and refuses to crawl Love carries the weight when the road gets rough It believes there's tomorrow when today feels enough It hopes through the darkness It stays through the rain And when everything changes Love remains [Verse 3] I remember homemade ice cream melting down my hand Red clay underneath me, trying to understand How somebody could promise forever with a smile Then leave me with their silence for a while But I won't let one lie rewrite my name I won't let betrayal turn my heart into flame I still believe kindness can be strong I still believe real love knows right from wrong The things I once worshiped will eventually fade The praise, the money, the knowledge, the plans we made But when the noise disappears and the lights are gone The love that I gave is still living on [Final Chorus] I'm still here, still here Faith beside me, hope sincere I walked through the valley And I came out changed Not because I never hurt But because I never stayed chained I can love without losing me I can heal without forgetting I can rise from what broke me And still count every blessing Through every storm, through every tear Love kept calling, “You're still here” [Outro] Faith will keep me walking Hope will keep me reaching Love will keep my heart alive When life has left me speechless One day I'll see the picture That I couldn't understand But until that morning comes I'll keep holding God's hand I've been through the kitchen heat I've danced with my darkest fears I've cried behind closed doors I've conquered so many years And if there's one thing life taught me After everything I've known The greatest thing I carry Is the love I have shown Still here... Still standing... Still loving... Still becoming... And when everything else fades away, Love remains.