Amy Grant - Innocence Lost

I have almost every one of Amy Grant's albums dating back to 1983 (except her most recent one......just remembered I haven't gotten it yet). This song, "Innocence Lost", is on her album Simple Things so I know I've heard it.....probably hundreds of times. But I don't think I TRULY heard it until about 30 minutes ago.

Yesterday was an odd day. I was watching/recording a VHS tape from my college graduation festivities in preparation for a slideshow I'm putting together. The evening before graduation is always "Chime-Out" held at the Bell Towers. It's just a short ceremony where the seniors pass the "torch" (garland) to the juniors to carry on the Howard Payne traditions (somebody clearly dropped the ball on the school song......read my blog from a few days ago and listen the remix of the school song I did for the slideshow). While watching the video footage yesterday morning of our "Chime-Out" ceremony, I decided to listen to the "charge" that Dr. Don Newbury (our school President at that time) gave to the seniors to see if it might be neat to include it with a song playing in the background (found a great Michael W. Smith song that I believe came out that very year, 1990)......it's going to turn out really cool.....we ALWAYS loved listening to Dr. Newbury speak so I think everyone will enjoy it. But listening to his words over and over while trying to work out the volume levels against the backdrop of a song, I realized I really dropped the ball myself 20 years ago. I don't represent what Howard Payne taught me or what Howard Payne stands for......or what I stood for 20 years ago on that Friday evening listening to those words from Dr. Newbury. So here this morning I come across this Amy Grant song that's really the story of my life from the last 20 years. It blew me away. WOW. Here are the lyrics:

I can't relive my life
I can't retrace my tracks
I can't undo what's done
There is no going back

I chased a selfish dream
Did not survey the cost
Illusions disappeared
I found my innocence lost

Some say it's lessons learned
Some say it's a living life
I say it's choices made
Knowing wrong from right

One night I fought to sleep
In my slumber I turned and tossed
I woke to a cloudy day
And found my innocence lost

Innocent child is a beautiful thing
Secure in her father's arms
Sleeps while a mother sings

There's no way to know
All the harm this world can bring
I miss my innocence
Oh, to be innocent

My heavenly Father
The way of eternal love
That overflows with grace
I can completely trust

My broken heart repaired
And all my sin forgot
I can be pure again
In spite of my innocence lost

In his eyes I'm a newborn child
'Cause I accept his love
I have a new found hope
Though I've found my innocence lost

I can be pure again

I've found my innocence lost