I'll Save You a Seat

You put your coat on the chair beside you At a church supper late in June I said I hoped that seat wasn't taken You said, I hoped it was saved for you You spilled your tea when you reached to shake hands I laughed so hard I forgot my name Peter, I think I knew by the dishes I'd come back Sunday and sit there again

I'll save you a seat At the end of the day When you've run out of answers And there's not much to say God knows we've been weary God knows we've been sweet Thirty years of loving you And I'll save you a seat

We had a kitchen too small for a table Two bar stools somebody gave us for free You'd come home tired as I left for the morning Leave half your toast and a note there for me Then came the school bags, the bills on the counter The night that our youngest drove out on his own You took my hand and we prayed for his journey Then made far too much dinner for two

I'll save you a seat At the end of the day When you've run out of answers And there's not much to say God knows we've been weary God knows we've been sweet Thirty years of loving you And I'll save you a seat

We didn't get good at forgiving by guessing Some nights we learned on our knees We asked Jesus to soften the things we were saying And you came and sat next to me Now the church has a brand-new kitchen And the chairs don't wobble like then But I'd take that same clumsy hello And the whole of this life again

I'll save you a seat Let the evening take its time You've still got that look about you When your hand reaches for mine God has been so faithful Through the years we couldn't see Thirty years of loving you And I'll save you a seat

Leave your coat right here, my darling There's a place beside me