Christian singer TobyMac released an emotion-laden song and music video Thursday about his late 21-year-old son.
In a statement regarding the song, TobyMac shared that he is thankful for the support he’s received and that the tune is an “honest” reflection of his feelings.
The song, titled 21 years, includes the lyric, “God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart.” and describes the emotions he felt when he first learned of his son Truett Foster McKeehan’s death last October and the feelings he has experienced since.
The video shows TobyMac singing in the rain. Pictures and videos of Truett are spliced into it.
“I loved him with all my heart,” TobyMac said in a statement. “Until something in life hits you this hard, you never know how you will handle it. I am thankful that I have been surrounded by love, starting with God’s and extending to community near and far that have walked with us and carried us every day.
“Writing this song felt like an honest confession of the questions, pain, anger, doubt, mercy and promise that describes the journey I’m probably only beginning,” he added. “The rest is yet to come. One thing I know is that I am not alone. God didn’t promise us a life of no pain or even tragic death, but He did promise He would never leave us or forsake us. And I’m holding dearly to that promise for my son as well as myself.”
The song’s lyrics are, in part, a prayer to God that includes unanswered questions like, “Why would You give and then take him away?” The song also includes a picture of heaven, with TobyMac singing the lines, “Did he see You from a long way off? Running to him with a Father's heart. Did You wrap him up inside Your arms? And let him know, that he's home?” The song ends with the 55-year-old singing, “Thank you, Lord, for my beautiful son.”
Read the complete lyrics here.
Related:
Truett Foster McKeehan – Son of Christian Rapper TobyMac – Dies at 21
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.
Photo courtesy: ©TobyMac
Video courtesy: ©TobyMac
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
