Chris Tomlin – Sight Not Unseen

He doesn’t have to search very hard in his own life for evidence of a limitless God. From the streets of tiny Grand Saline, Texas (pop. 3000—give or take), to the biggest arenas in the world, Tomlin’s life is a case study in possibility. Touted as one of the most-sung songwriters in the world, he has topped nearly every musical chart there is, including Billboard 200 chart, making him only the fourth Christian artist to ever do so. He has won countless Dove Awards, Billboard Music awards and a GRAMMY. He has also played an integral role in the cultural phenomenon Passion, which regularly sees over 60,000 college students come together for worship, discipleship and ministry.

But even more than the awards, the charts and the fans, Tomlin is seeing his God of the impossible at work fervently in his own home, namely in the blossoming lives of his daughters who are, in a word, strong.

“They’re five and two now and they are both spitfires,” Tomlin says with a knowing kind-of laugh every parent in the world can relate to. “They are beautiful little blond-hair girls and they are both so strong. You’d think you’ll end up with one that is particularly strong, but they are both pretty strong girls. They can be sweet too,” he adds in quickly, as if turning over a memory in his mind.

Not that there’s a shortage of good times to pull from. Today, Tomlin’s daily life revolves around a little royalty, a lot of glitter, all washed down with some chocolate milk.

“If I’m home, we’ll do breakfast together. Eggs, bacon, cereal—usually cereal. And chocolate milk, of course,” Tomlin says, as if detailing an imaginary menu. “We’ll go through about four or five princess outfits a day, with Dorothy usually in the mix as well. Whatever we play, that’s who they are at the moment and that’s what we call them.”

Be it Belle, Snow White or Dorothy, it is crystal clear that fatherhood has changed him in many ways. For one, there’s new warmth in his laugh. There’s also a new sense of unknown as he joins a league of parents wading with their kids through childhood, striving to make the right decisions, stumbling over humanity on the way—staying afloat on the words and promises of their own Heavenly Father, a name which has morphed into a new significance for Tomlin as of late. And it all started at bedtime…

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