Verse 1 I left before the sun could speak, Mama tied a strip of linen on my arm, said, “Keep it clean.” Dad stood quiet by the doorframe, eyes on the fields, not me, ’Cause saying goodbye is easy talk compared to covenant things. They promised never to lift a blade, so we carried what they laid down, Not oath-bound, but blood-bound, we took their place and their ground. Hee-la-men met us at the canyon lip, called us sons like we were his own, We nodded, swallowed hard, and marched like we were grown. I was nineteen fears and one small prayer, Mud on my sandals, smoke in my hair, He said, “Obey,” and we did, every order, every line, If faith has edges, ours cut fine. Chorus I don’t doubt, Mama said He’d be with me, And on the spear-wind nights I felt Him breathe. When the shield got heavy and my hands shook free, I heard your voice say, “Stand, then see.” I don’t doubt, not now, not ever, You taught me God keeps brave hearts tethered. If I fall, I fall into His keeping hand, But tonight I stand. Verse 2 First clash sounded like thunder breaking stone, Dust turned the noon to iron gray. I tasted metal in my mouth, my arm went numb, Thought my courage might run away. My friend Tima pulled me upright, grinning through a split lip, “Breathe,” he said, “and plant your feet.” So I did, hip to hip. We moved like oars through a storming sea, Faith was rhythm, faith was beat. Orders rang, we locked our row, Pain wrote fire up to my shoulder bone, I said a prayer with no pretty words, Just “Help,” and heaven heard. Chorus I don’t doubt, Mama said He’d be with me, And in the spear-light blur He steadied me. When the ground tried to swallow up my knees, I heard your voice say, “Hold your peace.” I don’t doubt, not now, not ever, You taught me God keeps brave hearts tethered. If I fall, I fall into His keeping hand, But tonight I stand. Bridge The world grew narrow, breath ran out, I heard you say what you taught about: “We do not doubt, our God will shield.” I tightened my grip and kept the field. Verse 3 When the shouting quit, the ravens circled, We counted off by name and scar. Every man was cut and bleeding, Not one was taken from our numbered stars. a-men smiled like a tired father, “Every son accounted for.” We laughed, then wept, then bound each other, Faith the thread through every sore. I don’t doubt, Mama said He’d be with me, And in the quiet after, I could see How mercy walked the killing field, Left us bruised but not repealed. I don’t doubt, not now, not ever, Your words and God, that braided tether. If I fall, I fall into His keeping hand, But tonight I stand, Yeah, tonight I stand. Tag Sons of a promise, sons by choice, Blood on our sandals, peace in our voice. We kept the line you would not cross, And found our strength in borrowed loss. I don’t doubt.
