Sara received her Bachelor of Science degree in History and English in 1994 from Evangel University, a private Christian university in Springfield, Missouri. Sara spent four years teaching high school in Rosemount, Minnesota before recording her first album, Past the Wishing, in 1998. Since then, she has released five more albums and appeared on several others (see below). Sara has been nominated for 3 Dove Awards including "New Artist of the Year" in 2002 and "Special Event Album of the Year 2003" by the Gospel Music Association. She was named one of the best Christian music artists of 2005 and the album, Add to the Beauty, was named "Album of the Year" for 2005 by CCM Magazine. In 2009 Fireflies & Songs earned enough votes from a panel of ten music critics to be named Christianity Today's Album of the Year. The magazine explained their choice: "Already known for her transparent songwriting, Sara Groves gets even more piercingly honest on this, her ninth album. Whether her relationship with God, marital tension, or a private battle with anxiety, it's poetically spilled forth in Groves' call for the church to 'live confessionally.' And paired with less poppy, stripped-down arrangements, her achingly clear vocal remains front and center. This is vintage Groves—yet more herself than ever."
Mystery
Sara Groves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's always there before
And I can no more own it
Than I can own the road that I’m on
And I don't know where it leads me
I don't know where it leads me
Peace and resurrection
Suffering and dejection
My body's tired from trying to bring you here
My brow is furrowed trying to see things clear
So I'll turn my back to the black
And fall
And wait for the mystery
To rise up and meet me
There are as many takers
As there are hearts to take it
There are so many fakers
I myself have faked it
I should know
Sometimes this has left me
Groping in the darkness
Hoping in the darkness
I will run into you again
My body's tired from trying to bring you here
My brow is furrowed trying to see things clear
So I'll turn my back to the black
And fall
And wait for the mystery
To rise up and meet me
My body's tired from trying to bring you here
My brow is furrowed trying to see things clear
So I'll turn my back to the black
And fall
Pray for the mystery
To rise up and meet me
Oh I’ll wait for your mystery
To rise up and lead me home
In Sara Groves’ song “Mystery,” she ponders about the uncertainties of her faith and where it leads her. She describes her faith as something that is always present before her, but she cannot grasp it entirely. She likens it to the road she’s on that she cannot fully own. Groves shares that her faith is accompanied by peace and resurrection but also by suffering and dejection. She acknowledges that there are people who fake their faith, including herself at times, and it has left her struggling in the dark.
The chorus of the song reveals Groves’ weariness and her hope for the mystery of faith to reveal itself to her. She sings about being tired of trying to bring God to her and seeking clarity in her beliefs, and instead turns her back to the black and falls, trusting that the mystery will reveal itself to her. She ends the song by praying for the mystery to lead her home.
Overall, the song “Mystery” portrays the doubts and struggles that people experience in their faith journey. It acknowledges that faith is not always an easy path to follow, but there is always hope that the mystery of faith will lead them home.
Line by Line Meaning
I see my faith before me
I recognize my faith as always being present in my life
It's always there before
My faith is constant and consistent, never faltering
And I can no more own it
Faith is not something that can be possessed or controlled
Than I can own the road that I’m on
Just like the path we walk, faith is a journey that can't be owned or controlled
And I don't know where it leads me
Just like the road, I do not know where my faith journey will take me
I don't know where it leads me
My faith journey is full of unknowns and uncertainties
Peace and resurrection
My faith journey can bring both calmness and renewal
Suffering and dejection
My faith journey can also bring hardship and despair
I don't know
The ultimate destination and outcomes of my faith journey are unknown
My body's tired from trying to bring you here
I am physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to make things happen in life
My brow is furrowed trying to see things clear
I am struggling to gain clarity and understanding
So I'll turn my back to the black
I will turn away from the darkness and negativity
And fall
I will let go and allow the mystery of life to unfold
And wait for the mystery
I will patiently wait for the unknown and unexpected to reveal itself
To rise up and meet me
I believe that the mystery will eventually become clear and make sense
There are as many takers
Many people are willing to take or exploit faith for their own personal gain
As there are hearts to take it
There are just as many people who are willing to accept faith with genuine intentions
There are so many fakers
There are many who pretend to have faith but do not truly believe
I myself have faked it
I have struggled with doubts and questioning my own faith
I should know
Given my own experiences, I should be aware of the challenges of faith
Sometimes this has left me
At times, my struggles with faith have caused me to feel lost and alone
Groping in the darkness
I have felt like I'm blindly searching for something that I can't see or understand
Hoping in the darkness
Despite the difficulties, I still hold onto hope that the mystery of life will become clear
I will run into you again
I believe that I will eventually encounter and understand the mysteries of life and faith
Pray for the mystery
I will turn to prayer and faith during times of uncertainty
To rise up and meet me
I believe that the mystery will eventually become clear and reveal itself to me
Oh I’ll wait for your mystery
I will patiently wait for the unknown and unexpected to reveal itself, trusting in a higher power
To rise up and lead me home
I believe that the mystery will ultimately guide me to my true destination and purpose
Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Written by: SARA GROVES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cokofansmusicforgod5164
This song is so pretty and stately!! It defines Sara's classic style!!! 😍😍😍
@africannative
Agreed!
@rustygrace1
Sara helped me hang by a thread, holding out hope for a thoughtful and raw faith that might be possible and real.