Tonight, I was able to spend some time listening to some old Rich Mullins songs. Most people are familiar with Mullins as the guy who sang “Awesome God” and “Step by Step”. But my personal favorite is “Hard to Get”, which was recorded in an old church on a cassette tape recorder just 9 days prior to Mullins’ death in 1997. The honesty in relationship with God makes this one of my 2 or 3 favorite songs ever. We miss you, Rich.
Hard to Get
You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I’m so scared, I’m holding my breath
While You’re up there just playing hard to getYou who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that’s not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don’t see the blood that’s running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You’re up there just playing hard to get?And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow All I really need to knowIs if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can’t see what’s ahead
And we can not get free of what we’ve left behind
I’m reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret I can’t see how
You’re leading me unless
You’ve led me here
Where I’m lost enough to let myself be led
And so You’ve been here all along I guess
It’s just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get.
already & not yet 
I first heard of Rich Mullins in 1994 shortly after my conversion to Christ…and was laid bare by his songs. Songs such as “Hold Me Jesus”, “I See You”, “Calling Out Your Name”, and “Creed” were the soundtrack of my early Christian life and provided much comfort when life was very cold. I can’t think of another performer that I enjoy more.
“Hold Me Jesus” is one of my favorite songs, too. I absolutely love that first disc of the “Jesus Record” that’s just the demos Rich recorded before he died. It’s actually kind of chilling. “Hard to Get” really hit me at a time when I was trying to understand what God was doing in my life. It was one of those rare times where it was as if an artist had gotten inside my head and articulated precisely what I was thinking and feeling.
Beautiful!