Written in Red

Born on a backroad, dust on my boots
Raised on revival hymns and rhythm & blues
Mama sang about mercy in a cracked front pew
Daddy worked hard, said, “Son, let the Lord lead you.”

I’ve run wild with the devil’s crowd
Got lost in the noise, got way too loud
But grace found me where I fell
Wrote my name where shame once dwelled

Every mile’s a memory carved in stone
Every heart you touch carries you on

Your life’s a story God already started
You’re holdin’ the pen while you’re brokenhearted
Every word you speak, every hand you hold
Every act of mercy’s worth more than gold
One day you’ll leave this world behind
But love don’t fade with the passing of time
Let ‘em say you gave more than you took
And you loved like Jesus — that’s the whole dang book


There’ll be somebody standin’ in the rain
Whisperin’ your name through the pain
Sayin’, “When I was barely hangin’ on
You showed up and you stayed strong.”
Did you lift the weak? Did you bend your pride?
Did you stand for truth but stay kind?
Did you trade your anger for amazing grace
When forgiveness stared you in the face?

Ain’t no rewind on the life you live
But there’s power in the love you give

Your life’s a story God already started
Ink it in mercy when the world feels heartless
Every tear you wipe, every chain you break
Heaven’s choir moves with every move you make
When you leave this world behind
Let your legacy testify
You loved like Jesus with all you had
And that’s a story that outlives a man

We’re just a dash on a headstone line
But love’s what echoes past goodbye
From a wooden cross to a rugged heart
Red-letter mercy tore the dark apart
So love your neighbor, love your enemy
Love like the Man who set you free

Your life’s a story God already started
Don’t let fear keep you guarded
Write redemption through your pain
Let His blood wash every stain
When you leave this world behind
Let ‘em feel it deep inside
You loved like Jesus, strong and true
And His soul kept singin’ through

Gravel roads and gospel choirs
Broken hearts and holy fire
Sign your name in mercy instead…
Let your whole life be written in red.**

Cody Johnson and Rascal Flatts