“For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.” – Ezra 6:22
At a church service in 1997, Darrell Evans and his worship team were providing a worshipful atmosphere for the congregation to pray. People were at the altar praying in what he describes as a very tender moment, as well as a significant one for many in the church. It would be the scene of his spontaneous writing of the song “Trading My Sorrows”.
During this time, Darrell began to think about his own life. What would he be bringing to the cross? “I got the picture of myself, too, on my knees at the cross. What would I be laying down in my own life?” he recalls. “The initial ideas of my sorrows and shame, and sickness and pain were rolling around in me-especially shame. That was a big one, as I thought about my own failures and mistakes in life. I thought, Man, I'd like to trade those things in. And so I began singing that, which became the opening lines to the song.”
As the congregation continued to pray, in part led by Darrell's words, the band began to pick up the pace. Instead of a dirge, he said, it became a celebration. “Hey, I'm trading these things in for the joy of the Lord, which will be a renewed strength for me,” said Darrell. Later that week in his office, Darrell took the bones of the song and finished writing the song we now know.
There is joy when we know Jesus. Today in prayer, give your heart to Jesus and receive His joy.
“I’m trading my sorrow
I’m trading my shame
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord” – Darrell Evans
God’s Word: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:46-47
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