Grace Gets the Last Word

[Intro: ONE six-string Martin acoustic guitar in slow 6/8 G6 – Em7 – Cadd9 – D7, harmonica like a small hymn] [Verse 1] I carried every harsh word Like a pocket full of stone, Took the weight from room to room And called that burden home. Till one quiet morning I could see what anger cost: The years I spent holding on Were the very years I lost. [Verse 2] I can't rewrite the old days, Can't make the wrong things right; But I can leave the judgment In more capable hands tonight. God, teach this stubborn heart To loosen up its hold; There's a kind of freedom That won't be bought or sold. [Chorus] Grace gets the last word When the long day is through; Not the hurt, not the anger, Not the things we couldn't undo. Let the truth be spoken, Let the healing have its turn; Where a hard heart once was burning, Let a porch light burn. Grace gets the last word. [Harmonica interlude: one quiet trembling hymn-like melody, acoustic guitar continues G6 – Em7 – Cadd9 – D7] [Verse 3] Forgiving don't mean saying Every wrong was somehow good; It means I won't keep living Where the bitter memory stood. And love is not pretending There was never any pain; It's opening up the window And letting sunlight in again. [Bridge: solo male voice, guitar barely picked] Lord, keep my feet on honest ground, My hands from throwing stones. Help me make a little shelter For a weary traveler coming home. [Final Chorus: slightly fuller MARTIN strum; only one singer] Grace gets the last word When the long day is through; Not the hurt, not the anger, Not the things we couldn't undo. Let the truth be spoken, Let the healing have its turn; Where a hard heart once was burning, Let a porch light burn. Grace gets the last word. [Spoken outro] A little more grace, a whole lotta Holler. And all is well. [One guitar G6 arpeggio and harmonica breath; silence]