In the style of Gaither Vocal Band, Brian Free & Assurance and Jason Crabb, Ivan Parker's Southern Gospel music has blessed listeners for over 30 years through his hit songs "Midnight Cry," "Hit the Ground Running" and "I Choose." Songs about parental legacy and passing on biblical truths always get my attention, including recently featured "Calling All Fathers" by Todd Smith and "Jack's Song" by Remedy Drive.

In that same vein, "Mama's Rocking Chair" is the highly anticipated lead single from award-winning vocalist Ivan Parker's Difference Media debut Dancing in the Rain, which released July 29th. I had the chance to speak with Ivan about "Mama's Rocking Chair."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

As you get a little bit older, sometimes you can't help but go back to the memories of your childhood. The writer of this song, Aaron Wilburn, is a good friend of mine. He sent me this song and he thought I might be interested in singing it. He told me it was a "mama song," and sometimes you have to sing those types of songs. I said absolutely. 

My mom is 91 years old. If I ever have had a prayer warrior in my life, it would definitely be my mom. Even today when I speak with her, she talks about God and Jesus and miracles. She talks about how God wakes her up in the middle of the night thinking about me and needing to pray.  All those things tie in to how we should pay attention to who is touching Heaven on our behalf. 

Going back a little bit to before Aaron sent me the song, at that same time I was at my mom's home in North Carolina, and my brother called me into the living room to point out the rocking chair my mom and dad bought when I was born. The chair has been there as long as I can remember. This chair took on a whole personality for me and stayed on my mind after visiting my mom. It was a beautiful thing to revisit my childhood like that and a completely God-ordained moment, as shortly thereafter Aaron sent me the song "Mama's Rocking Chair." Tears came to my eyes just from the title of the song, and I got chills. It took me back to the beginning of my spiritual walk.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV): "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith."

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

1 Thessalonians 1:2-6 (NIV): "We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 14:29-31 (NKJV): So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

What is the takeaway message?

My mom taught all seven of us about Jesus. When I saw our family rocking chair, and then when I was sent the song, I couldn't believe how God had worked that out. It's a great song, and it was hands-down that I needed to sing it. God works in wonderful ways. Whenever He introduces us to the beginning of our spiritual walks, I'm sure as my mom was rocking me as a baby in that chair that she was praying for me. I'm sure knowing my mom the way that I do that she was telling me Bible stories and singing songs to me. 

Mom has a hallway in her house and walks it up and down on her walker every night before she goes to bed. She walks and she prays. She says she feels like she touches heaven a lot better in that hallway. When I recorded the song, it was almost as if God had read my heart and given me the song to sing. I hope that the song blesses people and takes listeners back to the place where they first met Jesus. 

It reminds me of Proverbs 22:6. I've heard all my life that God's Word doesn't return void. If you plant that seed in your child at an early age, at some point in their life it will come back to them. As I grew older, God saw it fit to bring me back to where I first heard the Scriptures that my mama shared with me. Don't take for granted the time you have with your children and grandchildren. Share the Word of God with them, as that's what will keep coming back for them. That's my testimony as well.

Lyrics:
I had a front row seat
When David fought Goliath
I was looking in the den when Daniel walked with lions

Saying wake up Samson wake up
When Delilah cut his hair
I saw it all from Mama's rocking chair

I was sitting in the boat when Jesus walked on water
And you should have been there when He raised the rich man's daughter
When He opened blinded eyes and everybody stopped and stared
I saw it all from Mama's rocking chair

When she read God's Holy Word to me
It was so much more than history
It came alive as we were sitting there
And I saw it all from Mama's rocking chair

I've learned some lessons from the finest teachers
I've listened to the sermons of the greatest preachers
But everything I've heard from them
Oh it never could compare
To what I saw from Mama's rocking chair

When she read God's Holy Word to me
It was so much more than history
It came alive as we were sitting there
And I saw it all from Mama's rocking chair

As she painted scenes from Calvary
I could see that Jesus died for me
And I met Him there
In Mama's rocking chair

Precious memories how they linger

As I get older, I find myself thinking more and more about how well I'm living for Christ and showing His love. If you think about the type of faith we are called to have as believers, it is described as the faith of a mustard seed. Being a Christian means that we walk by faith, not by sight. Faith requires people to rely on the unseen. We all walk by faith every day. The beauty of walking by faith and not by sight is that we can learn to more fully trust God with our lives. The key as a follower of Jesus is to walk by faith and to be guided in your daily walk by prayer and God's infallible Word, the Bible. As the song says, "It's so much more than history." Let God's Word be alive in your life.

With God all things are possible. The same goes for salvation. We can't earn Heaven, it's only through complete surrender to Jesus and putting all of our hope in Him can we be saved. This song is all about having a strong faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Sometimes we have a tendency to think we can try to know everything. God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. We know from the teachings of Jesus, that the wise build their houses on the Rock. So many people struggle to apply God's Word to their lives. If we learn to build our lives on Scripture, we would all have a Rock as our foundation, in how we navigate our lives. We know from Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV), "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void."

This song has really been resonating with me as I realize that Jesus commands us to trust God completely no matter our circumstances or personal distractions or concerns. When you have a foundation based on God's Word, you can know with certainty that Jesus died for us and you can meet with Him by faith and by praying for His presence. Allow the truth of this song to flow over you and the Holy Spirit to enter into you and meet Him there, "in Mama's rocking chair." Amen to that! 

Listen to the song below.