on a river laden up with prayer and doubt and dreams

I'm not going to use a sojo quote this week as my "get myself in the CG mindset" inspiration. Instead I'd like to use my traditional song lyric inspirations because these few choice melodic expressions continue to stand out.

So save your prayers, for when you’re really gonna need them
Zero, Smashing Pumpkins

I traveled back to high school today in honor of the fact that Smashing Pumpkins will be at Voodoo Fest next week and I wanted to remember how much I love their songs. Now, Billy Corrigan is quite a God-pessimist, so it does not surprise me in the least that he includes this lyric. After all, this is the same song that notes, “God is empty, just like me.” Yet those of us that do believe in God often seem to follow this advice, as though God can only take so many prayers before he’s tapped out.

To go along with this quote, a lyric that always, no matter how many times I listen to the song, stands out with incredible clarity:

I finally feel strong enough to pray
Maybe Tonight, William Tell

Again…this seems to be the opposite of what is necessary, although in a way I understand the sentiment. William thanks God in the linar notes so I don’t think he’s trying to be flippant, rather just articulating something that happens to all of us. We want to be able to do it on our own. We want to come to God clean, whole, and strong. But we can’t get there—God comes to us.

And finally we have:

So self-absorbed you've seemed to ignore the prayers that have already come about
The Unwinding Cable Car, Anberlin

There’s so much in this short statement from Stephen Christian, who insists that his band is not a “Christian band,” but that his faith impacts every aspect of his life. First, how often do we forget to take the time to say thanks (whether it’s to God or to the people in our life)? We’re so involved in ourselves that we just leap from thought to thought, demanding more, not realizing when a desire that we have has been granted. Also, when we become so focused on ourselves and our needs, we forget that we have already had so many of our needs met. When all we think of is ourselves and how to make ourselves happy—when we’re self-absorbed—it’s easy to ignore that God has answered our prayers, because all we’re focused on is the new prayers that we want answered. And of course we want them answered in the way that we desire…

In short.
You can’t pray too much.
Praying when weak isn’t only acceptable, it’s encouraged. And necessary if you’re anything like me.
Take a moment to say thanks.
Don’t be so busy wanting that you forget what you’ve got.

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Now playing: Anberlin - There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss
via FoxyTunes