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"It's the Leaving I Don't Know (Psalm 90)" by Stephen M. Miller: Holding On, Letting Go

Stephen M. Miller - It's the Leaving I Don't Know (Psalm 90)

Stephen M. Miller’s “It’s the Leaving I Don’t Know (Psalm 90)” is a song that invites us to reflect on the brevity and frailty of human life and focus on what is really important. The song doesn’t focus on passing away…

Stephen shared:

“I lost my father to a 27-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I lost all 3 of my younger brothers: death 1 day after birth, death by heart attack, and death by COVID.

Today, I just returned home from visiting my mother halfway across the country, 800 miles away. She is blind from strokes, suffering from dementia, and transitioning into death. She will soon die, any day, or possibly in several weeks.

Consumed by all this grief, I struggle to understand how to cope and how to help my family prepare for when I have to leave.”

Stephen faced his own health crisis. He collapsed one day, unable to speak, and woke up to his wife calling an ambulance. It was nothing more serious than that, but it was in this moment that he thought this could be the end of his mortal life. He prayed 6 words… “Lord, take care of my family.” That’s it. That’s what mattered the most to him!

“I’m not afraid of dying, Lord // I’m at peace with where I’ll go // But just the thought of leaving // Thinking of my kids grieving // Lord, it’s the leaving I don’t know.”

Stephen doesn’t have answers, but he gives voice to what we all feel: the fear of leaving, and the hope that love outlasts goodbyes.

So, go ahead and give this song a listen. You might just hear your own heart in the lyrics.

(Related scripture: Psalm 90:12; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Psalm 68:5)

Connect with Stephen M. Miller

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