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It’s A Gift - Song History
WORDS & MUSIC
Dennis Jernigan
September 18, 2020
This song was born out of my personal struggle with Parkinson’s coupled with a need to prepare my children and grandchildren for whatever the Lord has for me in this life. My personal plan? To live to see at least one of my grandchildren be married. In other words, I do not plan to die any time soon! At the same time, my health is a concern and death is always a possibility…with anyone at any time. Parkinson’s drains me of my energy and mental strength during the course of most days. It robs me of sleep on most nights. I sometimes suffer physically and emotionally as a result. But I have come to the place of believing God wastes nothing in my life. Not even Parkinson’s. In fact, it is my belief that God meant Parkinson’s for my good. It is when stepping back from the short-sightedness of my own perspective and seeing my life from the grand perspective of God’s point of view, I get a better picture of how He causes all things to work together for my good…to tear away more of the layers of my old way of thinking, revealing mind-renewing truth.
On the 18th of September - a Friday - I was feeling very weak and discouraged, but I made the choice to rejoice in spite of the way I felt. While doing so, I began to ask the Lord to help me reduce life down to it’s lowest common denominator…to the place of simple peace. As soon as I thought of the word ‘simple’, I began to hum the melody of the old Shaker Hymn, 'It’s A Gift To Be Simple’. Using that as a catalyst, I began to sing about the things I have to be thankful for rather than the things I have lost and the song began to be birthed.
While this was going on, another thought was invading my mind. “Dennis, you need to prepare your children and grandchildren for the reality that one day you will die…but it’s OK…because they need to see your life has been good and you have lived with a grateful heart in spite of the harshness of life.” The reason I thought of this just goes to show you, once again, how God wastes nothing in our lives. Not even a Marvel superhero movie like ‘The Black Panther’!
There is one pivotal scene in which T’Challa - the Black Panther - has a conversation with his deceased father, King T’Chaka. King T’Chaka says to his son, T’Challa, “A man who has not prepared his children for his own death has failed as a father.” That quote has stuck in my mind since my first viewing of this amazing movie. It has become one of my favorite moments from the film - and God used it to help bring about this song.
I want my children to know I am prepared to die when God calls me home. I want them to see that life, though difficult, has been worth every minute and every breath. I want them to know I love them and that I know them and that I am a rich man and full of joy simply because they exist. I want them to see the legacy of faith God has woven into our family for generations to come…and to know God loves them so much that He wastes nothing…and that we have to view life from God’s grand perspective and walk in humility and gratitude. Life truly is a gift.
Dennis Jernigan
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 NASB
Verse
It's a gift to be loved
It’s a gift to be known
It's a gift to be alive
And to never be alone
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
It's a gift just to feel
It's a gift just to breathe
It's a gift to be alive
It's a gift to simply be
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
I would like to say
It's so good to be alive this day!
And it's wonderful!
Just so wonderful!
Chorus
It's a gift to be loved
It’s a gift to be known
It's a gift to be alive
And to never be alone
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
It's a gift just to feel
It's a gift just to breathe
It's a gift to be alive
It's a gift to simply be
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
I would like to say
It's so good to be alive this day!
'Cause it's wonderful!
'Cause it's wonderful!
Just so wonderful! It's a
Verse
It's gift gift to be touched
It's a gift to be heard
It's a gift to be acknowledged
By a simple spoken word
It's so beautiful! Beautiful!
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
It's a gift to be held
While the world falls apart
It's a gift to be remembered
Like a treasure of the heart
It's so beautiful! Beautiful!
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
I would like to say
It's so good to be alive this day!
And it's beautiful!
Just so beautiful!
Chorus
It's a gift to be touched It's a gift to be heard
It's a gift to be It's gift gift to be touched
It's a gift to be heard
It's a gift to be acknowledged
By a simple spoken word
It's so beautiful! Beautiful!
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
It's a gift to be held
While the world falls apart
It's a gift to be remembered
Like a treasure of the heart
It's so beautiful! Beautiful!
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
I would like to say
It's so good to be alive this day!
'Cause it's beautiful!
'Cause it's beautiful!
Just so beautiful!
Verse
It's a gift to be loved
It’s a gift to be known
It's a gift to be alive
And to never be alone
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
It's a gift just to feel
It's a gift just to breathe
It's a gift to be alive
It's a gift to simply be
It's so wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!
I would like to say
It's so good to be alive this day!
'Cause it's wonderful!
'Cause it's wonderful!
Just so wonderful!
September 18, 2020© Shepherd's Heart Music, Inc./Dennis Jernigan
It's A Gift Lead SheetIt's A Gift MP3
