Between Two Houses – Part 1

This week we are looking at the unofficial anthem of Divorce Ministry 4 Kids.  Don’t miss part two coming on Wednesday.

Anyone who knows me would not call me a musically inclined person. I am the epitome of the idiom, “He can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” That said, I do like music. There are periods in my life which are marked by a particular song or set of songs, and when I hear those songs I am transported back to that time in my life. Following my adoption into God’s family, I have found that He works through music to readjust my attitude, encourage me or challenge me. The perfect song at the perfect time and place – I do not believe that to be coincidence. Once of my favorite singer/songwriters is Matthew West.

So, as God was really beginning to lay children of divorce on my heart, it was only fitting that Matthew West released his fourth studio album called “The Story of Your Life” in October 2010. For this album, Matthew West collected stories from thousands of fans and wrote songs reflecting those stories. One of the songs really captured heart. As I have travelled down this road of ministering to children of divorce, I have come back consistently to this song. The song is titled “Two Houses” and gives a child’s point of view on his parents’ divorce and ultimately in the healing that comes through a relationship with Christ. If I had to pick one song which summarizes the mission and goal of Divorce Ministry 4 Kids, it is this song. In fact, I liked the song so much that when I started Divorce Ministry 4 Kids and was pondering a name for the ministry it came down to that and Between Two Houses with Divorce Ministry 4 Kids only winning out because it was more explanatory. I would encourage anyone who is divorced, knows children whose parents are divorced or works kids to watch the video of this song

You can also watch the story behind the making of the video

In it,  Matthew West explained why he wrote the song:

“My heart breaks for families that break.”

Based on letters from his fans, he also reminds us that divorce is a universal problem. He says,

“It’s family of all kinds.”

I wanted to take today, as we approach the one year anniversary of the official launch of Divorce Ministry 4 Kids, to take a closer look at this song and what its lyrics remind us about children of divorce. I encourage you to listen to the song before reading through this commentary. Then, go back and listen once again once you’ve finished reading this article. This song should be the battle cry of those of us who God has called to minister to children of divorce.

Join us Wednesday as we take an in depth look at the lyrics of this song.