Wednesday evening we had the pleasure of playing for a church in Granbury, TX. We have had this planned for months because it is where Greg is from and it is the church he grew up in. Ironically Granbury was hit by a tornado the week before and the church and city was in full swing for recovery so it was neat not only to see the kids we were playing for, but the adults rally together in this time of need. It is my nature to be relational so naturally I love to talk and hear peoples hearts. After our worship time it brought me great joy to mingle with students and encourage them to keep following the right path even though it's hard because it is always the most rewarding. It just seems so right that we (greg and I) pursue this full time...and hopefully one day the Lord will allow that
I recently bought the album Our Graceful Words by a band called Sent By Ravens. The music community mourns because they are no longer together but the music they produced definitely is still influential. It is an earlier album of theirs coming out in 2010, but I enjoyed it all the same. There is a song called Salt & the Light, and it begins with this line
"and all our graceful words, without love, they're just a burden from our tongues."
beautiful...it nails our culture (even church culture) right on the head. We are so quick to say things that people want to hear, or to fill the air when we are just passing in transition. How many of us have experienced the "how are you?" "good" conversation everyday? if not multiple times a day? because let's be honest who really has the time to stop and say what's really going on? good has become a word I detest and every implication that comes with it. These are filler words with no love or genuineness behind it. I wrote a song called Eradicate and in the bridge I harped on this idea of our words never satisfying what's deep in our souls with the lines-
"but inside they slowly die with no chance of hope for their life
I'm sick of lying eyes and 'hello' 'goodbyes' that never satisfy the very dying cries
of our world that screams someone rescue me!"
Christians listen to me - if we want to see a change in this world....IT STARTS WITH US
we cannot expect the world to change if we ourselves look no different from it. I expect the cashier at the grocery store to give me some half-hearted smile and and a simple thank you. But I am just a burden to her/him if I speak eloquently to them and never express a genuine heart. The problem I have is most of these pathetic exchanges of words I see is at church...people are too focused on getting to the restaurant before everyone else, or getting home to see the game, or picking up their children from the childcare center (cause oh forbid they are gone for more than an hour without you-helicopter parents), that we don't take the time to honestly invest in a conversation that may take a bit more effort than two words.
Now I have been named by my lovely sister-in-law a 'linger-longer'. This means that after events I like to linger and speak with people and just be around til the very end. I would 100% agree that this is me because ever since I was about 11 I've always been the last one out of church, last one out of concerts or other school events, and pretty much anything else I attend. I do understand that not everyone is like this and therefore I cannot judge their actions for not doing so. Please don't misunderstand me and think that is what I am doing. Let's take this scenario...
Our culture LOVES to post anything and everything they can on facebook, twitter, instagram (this one is my personal favorite) and now this newer one vine. I admit I enjoy it as well, it's nice to be able to share your life with people whom you don't get to see very often and keep up with friends who live far away. So as christians we love to post 'prayer requests' and 'scripture' and to some I believe it is from a genuine spirit, but for a lot, I think it's a show, and i say that with confidence because we will know them by their fruit and their fruit outside of those "graceful words" is nothing - that's biblical.
So when we tell our friends or comment on their 'status' that we are praying for them and then never give a second thought about their grief or sorrow? we ourselves become a BURDEN on them. second line from the song
'the taste remains, but without faith, we're still an arms length away'
the taste of our words remains with them, they are expecting us to pray for them, they are counting on our support. yet when we don't actually do it, when we just say words and have no action to back it up, we are still an arms length away from really knowing that person. Even in crowded areas, Jesus was so aware of everyone and everything around Him. He was surrounded by people yet knew when someone barely touched His robe. He stopped what He was doing and sought out the woman who had faith and spent maybe one minute with her, but she had ALL of His attention and devotion even for a moment, and she was forever changed.
how many people can we change if we even took one minute to be genuine with them? when we are approached with the awful phrase "how are you doing?" we respond with something more real than the word 'good' and carry on. That we stop, even if we are nervous because trust me breaking this habit is not an easy one, and give them something real. I've been trying this for about two years now and I've been distinguished by people I come into contact with. I've developed a relationship with the girl at the kroger down the street because I decided one day I was going to be real and not selfish. Her name is Kris and I actually pray for her and I don't even know if she is a believer or not, but I am intentional in my time with her, and genuine in my conversation with her because I care about her.
Christians be intentional, be genuine, and be caring.
I would suggest starting at church with people that already know Jesus, then start to carry that out into the world. Your story is your testimony and if you don't share it with people you hide the part that God loves the most. His redemption of you from your bad choices.
The song end with hope and redemptive qualities...if you're interested in the song you can listen to it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxHIKiczutE
I would ask you to join with me in praying for Greg and I as we continue to seek the Lord's direction for our music and our lives. We know we have a story to tell many people and we are dying to share it with everyone who will listen.
*meg
"your faith is only as strong as the words you speak
so speak, speak, SPEAK!"
"your faith is only as strong as the words you speak
so speak, speak, SPEAK!"
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