I locked up my heart / And I put on a show / I let the busyness of life be a wall so nobody gets close // Well I got a lot done / Yeah, I’m so type A / But I’m finding arm’s length is a safe but lonely place // CHORUS: So I’m gonna choose to reach out / Choose to lay down /All of the fear that I’ve been hiding / Choose to be brave / Though my heart’s afraid / To be a part of Your Kingdom rising, oh / God, I’m done running from / The reason that You sent Your Son / So I will choose to love // Well it’s always a risk / And it’s always a dare / But it’s a far more dangerous thing to listen to fear // But it’s a beautiful thing / To know and be known / Yeah, there’s a whole lot of life outside of my comfort zone // CHORUS // I’ll choose to trust / Oh God, let my heart be tender in a world so tough / I’m gonna choose to love // CHORUS: I’m gonna choose to reach out / Choose to lay down / All of the fear that I’ve been hiding / Choose to be brave / Though my heart’s afraid / To be a part of Your Kingdom rising, oh / God, I’m done running from / The reason that You sent Your Son / So I’m gonna choose to love / Maybe I’ll hurt, maybe I’ll bruise / Maybe I’ll cry, maybe I’ll lose / Still I will choose to love

(Francesca Battistelli / Justin Ebach / Tony Wood)

Behind the Song:
This song is my life. It can be so easy to hide from people. People can hurt us more than almost anything else, and being in community with humans is a risk. But it’s a risk God has called us to take. As a natural introvert, I tend to want to avoid getting close with people, so I have to make a conscious choice to invest into friendships and relationships and not be afraid of what’s real. So this song is my challenge to myself…and hopefully to you too! - Francesca Battistelli