This debut self-titled album by new CCM duo City Harbor is sure to connect with all listeners who like catchy songs filled with truth and yearning for God. Robby Earle and Molly Reed invite you into their songs in an authentic and relatable way, especially with their lead single "Come However You Are." The catchy and comforting song moves me with lyrics that reflect God's answer to the cry of my heart: "whatever pain you're dealing with, let me offer this, come however you are."

Finding God in moments of weakness and relying on Him completely for strength is what this song is all about. The truth that God loves us with an agape, sacrificial and selfless love that we don't deserve is soothingly expressed in this song. I had the opportunity to interview Robby and Molly about the song.

Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.
Robby: Scripturally speaking, the song stems from Matthew 11:28, where Jesus tells us "Come to Me all you weary and burdened and I will give you rest." The idea behind the song is that we are all aware that we have this need. We all have a sickness within us that we need cured, and there is a longing for something we don't have on our own. A lot of us realize that something is Jesus, and in the arms of Jesus.

What I've found in my own experience is that we try to get ourselves together before we go to Jesus. In the middle of the stuff we are dealing with, we want to get ourselves straightened out first and then go follow Him. The issue with that, especially within the body of believers, is that the only way to find freedom is in Jesus. When we try to step away and fix ourselves on our own, it starts a vicious cycle. In my experience, it is like the drowning man that stops thrashing around and realizes that the thing he's been fighting is the life guard trying to bring him to shore.

The message of this song is that no matter what baggage you think you are carrying, no matter what you've done, or where you are on this very day, you can come to Jesus. He wants you at your worst, and He wants you dirty and smelling. He's going to run down the driveway to you like the Father in the Prodigal Son story in the Bible.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV): "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Colossians 1:24-26 (NKJV): "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints."

What is the takeaway message about the song and album?
Molly: This song is about reminding people on a daily basis that God's grace never changes and never ends and never stops. I feel like we find ourselves asking how we should come to God, asking "what should I look like before I approach Him and receive His grace?" Jesus tells us come just as you are.

We have another song on the album called "Like I Am" which says "You love me like I am." God recognizes that we are sinful beings and not perfect, but covers us with His grace and loves us. I think that's the common thread of our whole album. It seems like it should be such a no-brainer as a believer, but I need that reminder every single day. I need that every morning when I wake up and before I go to bed.

Our society and culture basically says the opposite every day. It tells us what we need to do, and that we're a failure because of what we do or don't do. Love in the world's eyes is not Love in our Creator's eyes. One thing we want with this album is to constantly remind people over and over that they are covered daily by the love of God and His grace.

Lyrics:
To anyone walking down a hard road
Worn out with blisters on your feet
To anyone with a heart that's shattered
Doing your best to hold it together
With no prayer to pray and no song left to sing

Whatever pain you're dealing with
Let me offer this

Come however you are
Come with all your heart breaks
Come with all the mistakes you've made
Lay them down at the cross
Give them to the God who loves you
Hurt, scarred, falling apart
Come however you are

To the girl who never had a father
To the guy who thinks he'll never
Amount to much of anything
To those of us who feel unwanted, unneeded,
Unloved and desperately incomplete

Come however you are
Come with all your heart breaks
Come with all the mistakes you've made
Lay them down at the cross
Give them to the God who loves you
Hurt, scarred, falling apart
Come however you are

Come with your regrets
Come with the things you can't take
Come with all your fears and all your shame
With everything
Come with the pieces of
Your bruised and broken heart
Don't wait, don't wait

Whatever pain you're dealing with
Let me offer this

Come however you are
Come with all your heart breaks
Come with all the mistakes you've made
Lay them down at the cross
Give them to the God who loves you
Hurt, scarred, falling apart
Come however you are

I love the second verse: "To the girl who never had a father / To the guy who thinks he'll never amount to much of anything / To those of us who feel unwanted, unneeded, Unloved and desperately incomplete / Come however you are." So many believers still struggle with the idea that we have to prove ourselves worthy before God. Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians that we need to rejoice in our sufferings as they bring us closer to Christ. God wants you to know that you can "come however you are."

As a Dad with three young daughters, I especially take the message of this song to heart and want my girls to know that they can "come with all your heart breaks / Come with all the mistakes you've made / Lay them down at the cross / Give them to the God who loves you" and He'll accept us no matter what we've done or how we view ourselves. What a wonderful, encouraging truth.

We all have lies that we believe about ourselves. Also, we have an Enemy who doesn't like us. He does have a voice and he does speak to us, but the voice of God's Agape Love speaks louder. This song encourages us to see ourselves the way God sees us. What a great message of redemption: grace is unmerited favor, and is a free gift. Remember that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Come to the cross, however you are. Amen.

(Watch the lyric video here.)