Let Joy and Mercy Share the

[Verse 1]
You keep a list beside the sink
Of every decent thing you do
You cross one off, then stop to think
Was that for them, or for you?

[Pre-Chorus]
You give away the coat you need
Then count the hours till you’re warm
A careful heart can plant a seed
And still keep score beneath the storm

[Chorus]
If being good means being empty
Tell me what the good is for
If happiness makes me less worthy
Why am I still keeping score?
I want to help without disappearing
I want to laugh and still be kind
Let both hands hold what they are carrying
Let joy and mercy share the time

[Verse 2]
You call your hunger selfishness
You call your rest a borrowed wage
But even hands that tend the mess
Must leave the room and turn a page

[Pre-Chorus]
The neighbor’s porch light clicks at ten
Her paper bag splits in the rain
You lift the cans, she laughs, and then
You both walk home a little changed

[Chorus]
If being good means being empty
Tell me what the good is for
If happiness makes me less worthy
Why am I still keeping score?
I want to help without disappearing
I want to laugh and still be kind
Let both hands hold what they are carrying
Let joy and mercy share the time

[Bridge]
No halo for the sleepless
No prize for needless pain
A life can bend toward others
And still belong to you again

[Final Chorus]
If being good means being empty
Let that old measure hit the floor
I can be glad and still be steady
I don’t have to starve for more
I want to help without disappearing
I want to laugh and still be kind
Let both hands hold what they are carrying
Let joy and mercy share the time

[Outro]
You set the list beside the sink
And leave one line undone
You take a breath, you let yourself
Be someone loved, not just someone useful