Messes and Successes

from SW:S August 2023, Boulder Crest, VA by SongwritingWith:Soldiers

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lyrics

MESSES AND SUCCESSES
Russ and Christi Owens / Will Kimbrough

A little boy from just outside Columbus
Made friends with a missionary girl
Kept in touch by phone and letters from age thirteen
They stayed friends from halfway round the world

Vows were spoken, marriages and children
All the wounds and then all of the scars
Deployment, travel, damage and divorces
It hurts but it’s all part of who we are

How do you turn a mess into success?
Grit, determination, masking tape and spit
All the storms we weather, baby, I don’t love you less
How do you turn a mess into success?

They found new love, hopeful and exciting
Complicated times, but they were good
Then his desperation made him want to disappear
And sometimes she just really wished he would

Worked to build a family back in Georgia
Pieced together from these broken parts
Kids all thrown together in the chaos
Trying to find a safe place for their hearts

How do you turn a mess into success?
Grit, determination, masking tape and spit
All the storms we weather - I don’t love you less
How do you turn a mess into success?

It’s much more than a mess
And less than a success
It’s in the grace that we receive
A work in progress

How do you turn a mess into success?
Trust and faith and hope and tenderness
All the storms we’ve weathered, baby, I don’t love you any less
How do you turn a mess into success?
I’m so glad the struggle gives us strength
Cause life moves in the time we have to blink
The last lines of our story are not written yet
Tell me how to turn this mess into success
How do you turn a mess into success?

credits

from SW:S August 2023, Boulder Crest, VA, released September 18, 2023
©2023 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Will Kimbrough Music (BMI)

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SongwritingWith:Soldiers is a non-profit 501c (3) organization.

Our Mission: We transform lives by using collaborative songwriting to expand creativity, connections, and strengths.

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