Even a Passing Prayer

This morning I was on a walk, and I found myself just talking with God, mostly just thanking Him for the nature around me and good friends, that kind of thing. My mind was going all over the place and I just thought in passing how I hadn't gotten any God revelations in a song for some time. I found myself not even consciously praying but saying something more like: God, I'd really love for you to reveal something in a song to me again. 

So fifteen minutes later I'm driving home and this song Broken Crown comes on. Disclaimer, there is swearing. I've been chewing on this song for probably two years at least. I've had some thoughts but nothing cohesive but a thought here and there and nothing I could tell my full thoughts on. So just after this passing thought prayer as I'm listening all of a sudden all the scattered thoughts I've had about this song came together. There's a lesson in that. Some might say it's silly to ask God to speak to you through a song. But the thing is, I love music. And I serve a God who loves me and who delights in me and who gives good gifts. Because He knows music means a lot to me, He continues to meet me there. And it didn't take a proper religious prayer. I just talked to Him, like I would any of my earthly friends and said something in passing and like any good friend that cares, He went out of His way to do something He knew would bring me joy.  

So here's the interpretation of the song...two years in the making, brought by a God that hears even the passing prayer. 

Touch my mouth
And hold my tongue
I'll never be your chosen one
I'll be home, safely tucked away
Well you can't tempt me if I don't see the day

MY THOUGHTS:  'Trying to resist temptation'

The pull on my flesh was just too strong

It stifled the choice and the air in my lungs
Better not to breathe than to breathe a lie
'Cause when I open my body, I breathe a lie

MY THOUGHTS: 'Giving into temptation' 

I will not speak of your sin
There was a way out for him
The mirror shows not
Your values are all shot

MY THOUGHTS: 'There's a way out but he can't see it. He feels all the values he held up to this point are shot because of his sin.'

But oh, my heart was flawed
I knew my weakness
So hold my hand
Consign me not to darkness

MY THOUGHTS: 'Here he's admitting he knew he was weak and asking to not be given up on. I hear a cry for grace and not just saying, oh well, he's sinned I'll leave you to your sin, there's no hope for you. 

So crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down
I'll never wear your broken crown
I took the road and I fucked it all the way
Now in this twilight, how dare you speak of grace

MY THOUGHTS: 'So true grace wasn't extended. The person washed their hands of them so to speak earlier on and then comes and tries to extend grace. I see this as: I won't walk with you through this issue. I won't meet you where you are, I won't invest in you but I'll TELL you about grace, but it's just words I won't walk in grace WITH you. 

So crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down
I'll never wear your broken crown
I can take the road and I can fuck it all the way
But in this twilight, our choices seal our fate

MY THOUGHTS: 'Now they have to both deal with the choices they've made'.

TAKE AWAY:

God is a God of Grace, and therefore we should desire to be people of grace. Grace isn't coming in and saying you've done wrong, and saying grace be with you. Grace often is messy, it's walking with people through their crap. It's being a friend when it's maybe not easy to be. It's being a shoulder to cry on. It's walking alongside and being real with each other, but also loving each other. Saying, ya I know you've messed up, but I'm here. I love you, I'm here to listen, I'm here to try to help you figure this out. That's the kind of grace that the world needs.