BROKEN BEFORE THE CROSS [Instrumental Intro: solo piano and acoustic guitar, 4 bars] [Verse 1] There's a shadow in the mirror I barely know his face Lines carved deep from battles That time could not erase Every night brings memories I never asked to keep, Every scar still has a story That can wake me from my sleep. Verse 2 I was strong for everybody, Always steady, always sure, But the weight I carried quietly Was more than I could endure. I held the line through darkness, Stood my ground when others fell, But somewhere in that silence I was losing myself as well. Pre-Chorus I tried so long to stand alone, Like I didn’t need His grace— Till all the strength I trusted in Brought me to this place. Chorus Now I’m broken before the cross, Every piece of me laid down, All the strength I thought would save me Couldn’t keep me standing now. So I’m reaching out with empty hands, Let Your mercy cover all— I ain’t hiding what this pain has cost, I’m just broken before the cross. Verse 3 There’s a light inside the sorrow, Even through these tired eyes, And a whisper in the silence Cuts through every old disguise: “You don’t have to carry What I carried there for you.” And suddenly my deepest wounds Look different in that view. Pre-Chorus For the first time I let go Of the man I tried to be, And laid down everything I carried At the feet of Calvary. Chorus Now I’m broken before the cross, Every piece of me laid down, All the strength I thought would save me Couldn’t keep me standing now. So I’m reaching out with empty hands, Let Your mercy cover all— I ain’t hiding what this pain has cost, I’m just broken before the cross. Bridge He sees every tear I’ve cried, Every place I’ve tried to hide, Every battle no one knows, Every wound I couldn’t show. And He stayed—He didn’t leave, Met me here upon my knees. What I thought would mark my end Became the place He met me in. Final Chorus So I’m kneeling at the cross, Where the weight I’ve carried falls, At the feet of Jesus Christ— The One who bore it all. There’s healing for these wounded places, Grace enough for all I’ve lost. I came here bound by what I’d carried… But I’m leaving changed Because of the cross. Outro I came here broken… And He didn’t turn away.
