Playlist Prompt #30: "Into the Unknown"

Hello, friends! My final prompt for November, the month of extremely random songs, is courtesy of Kelsey. It's the song all of you had in your heads when Frozen 2 came out: "Into the Unknown."

During this scene in the movie, Queen Elsa is trying desperately to resist the temptation to go on a new adventure. She tells the voice she keeps hearing, "I've had my adventure, I don't need something new. I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you into the unknown."

Later, as she's warming to the idea of following the voice, she says, "Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow. Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?"

I actually had "The Unknown" as a writing prompt back in June, and back then, here's what I wrote:

"I used to be okay with the unknown. [Moving to Oklahoma] backfired, and I found myself longing for the "known." I wanted my old friends, my old home, my old life. ... I don't know that I'll ever venture into that dramatic of an "unknown" again."

In June, whenever I thought about the future, I felt sad. I couldn't imagine being happy doing anything other than being a DCE. I told everyone who asked that my skills fit that career so perfectly, they couldn't possibly match up with anything else. I was like Elsa in Frozen 2 saying that I've had my adventure, and it was plenty, and I didn't need anything else, ever.

Now?

I don't want to reveal too much yet, because there are a lot of, well, unknowns. But for the first time since I left Oklahoma, I feel that longing again. The longing for something new, something unfamiliar, something that feels like me. Something that I can see myself doing without feeling sad for what I've lost. It's a liberating feeling. 

More details to come, I hope!

In the meantime... I won't be writing every day in December, because that's a lot. But if anyone has any bright Christmas-related writing prompt ideas, please share! Thanks for following along with me this month! And a special thanks to Lindsey, Melissa, Rachel, Kelsey, and Zach for providing me with songs to write about - it was a lot of fun! 

Playlist Prompt #29: "Music Box"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt is a song by one of my favorite artists, Malinda, called "Music Box."

There's one line that's always stood out to me in this song:

"Whose face is in the mirror today? Is it me, or am I in the way?"

I get in my own way a lot. I look at myself in the mirror and think only about what I perceive to be wrong. That's not healthy, or helpful, or positive. It's an odd behavior if you think about it, because if I was looking at anyone else's face, I would be only focusing on what was right and beautiful and lovely. I try to be very affirming of my friends and family. I build them up as much as I can. So why do I use words with myself that I would never use with anyone else?

That begs the question, how can I get out of my own way?

There's no easy answer to that question, but I do see one starting point: using positive words.

Playlist Prompt #28: "Light in the Hallway"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt, courtesy of my brother Zach, is the song "Light in the Hallway" by Pentatonix.

This song is a lullaby, written from the perspective of a parent to a child. However, much of it could easily be seen from the perspective of God to us, his children. I can draw biblical parallels for almost every line:

"Close your eyes, lay your head down / now it's time to sleep"

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)

"If you're scared of the darkness, I will calm your fear / There's a light in the hallway so you know I'm here"

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)

"So count your blessings every day / It makes the monsters go away"

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)

"And everything will be okay / You are not alone / You are right at home"

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) 

Playlist Prompt #27: "Just Want You"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt, courtesy of Rachel, is the song "Just Want You" by Sarah Reeves.

This song - particularly this line: "I don't want it if you're not in it, I just want you" - brought to mind Psalm 42. I only remembered the first verse:

"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God."

Doesn't that invoke the same theme? All I want is you, God. And it's such a pretty image; you picture a deer by a stream, a calm, quiet scene. But check out the next couple of verses:

"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 

The Psalmist is not describing a mild thirst he's experiencing. This is the kind of thirst you feel after you've been crying for days without drinking water. I don't know what the Psalmist was going through, but whatever it was, it was terrible.

He goes on:

"These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you."

When all he can do is cry his eyes out, he finds comfort and release in remembering what God has done for him in the past. He goes on to describe God's steadfast love and the song that's with him in even the darkest of times.

Sarah Reeves' song talks about wanting God's plan even if it's not her own. The Psalmist surely wishes that he was not going through whatever it is that's troubling him so deeply, but he doesn't ask God to take it away. He has questions, sure:

"I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me?"

But his questions do not preclude his faith. Even when we feel confused, unsure, afraid, heartbroken, anxious - our faith reminds us that God has been with us before, and he is with us now, and he will always be with us. We can trust his plan.

Playlist Prompt #26: "10,000 Reasons"

Hello, friends! Happy Thanksgiving! Today's prompt, courtesy of Melissa, is the song "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman.

This song is based on Psalm 103:1-5. 

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

I like the Lutheran Study Bible note under verses 3-5.

"Psalmist names personal blessings for which he is thankful. Forgiveness tops the list."

How many of us, in listing things we're thankful for every year around this time, put forgiveness at the top of the list? But King David, attributed as the author of this Psalm, considers it most important. David, who rose from a lowly shepherd boy to the ruler of Israel, who has a palace and armies and victories to his name - the first item on his "thankfulness list" is forgiveness. 

The first verse of "10,000 Reasons" goes like this:

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning / It's time to sing Your song again / Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me / Let me be singing when the evening comes"

If we put forgiveness at the top of our list, then we can put every new day into perspective. We are fortunate to live forgiven. Whatever may pass, whatever lies before us - forgiveness is what matters in the end, as the last verse of "10,000 Reasons" reminds us:

"And on that day when my strength is failing / The end draws near and my time has come / Still, my soul will sing Your praise unending / Ten thousand years and then forevermore"

Let us spend our days remembering God's righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, love, and compassion, and the infinite number of reasons to bless his name. 10,000 doesn't even begin to cover it. 

Playlist Prompt #25: "In My Life"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt, courtesy of Lindsey, is the song "In My Life" by the Beatles.

This song makes me think of Heaven.

It starts out talking about nouns. Just kidding, but it's true all the same: the song talks about people, places, and things that the singer loves. There's a lot of nostalgia in this song, and I'm here for it! I can list some of my favorite places:

• The bluff at Concordia University Wisconsin
• The Chapel of Christ Triumphant, also at CUW
• University Lutheran's sanctuary
• Lake Okoboji
• Walker Johnston Park in Urbandale

And I can list some of the things I associate with those places:

• Many, many walks up and down the switchbacks with Lindsey
• Many, many chapel services with my college friends
• The joy-filled Vespers nights with the UL crowd
• Swimming in the lake with my camp friends growing up
• Playing at the park with my neighbors as a kid

I don't get to those places very much anymore. I see some of those places very differently now than I did as a child. But the memories will always be there, and they'll always make me smile.

But as the song says:

"But of all those friends and lovers / there is no one compares with you / and those memories lose their meaning / when I think of love as something new"

"Though I know I'll never lose affection / for people and things that went before / I know I'll often stop and think about them / In my life, I love you more"

When we get to Heaven, it will be so insanely wonderful beyond all of our imaginations. It'll be like all of our favorite places combined and so much more than that. Our memories of the old Earth will be nice, but they'll lose their meaning to us in the light of the wonderful new Earth we're now experiencing. Isn't that an interesting thought - a place that has no dark side, that will never lose its hold on us, that we'll never need to feel nostalgic for because we'll never lose it? 

Playlist Prompt #24: "Too Honest Lullaby"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt, courtesy of yours truly, is the song "Too Honest Lullaby" by Whitney Avalon.

When I moved to Oklahoma, I lived by myself in a house for the first time. I remember a time a few months in when I said to myself, "It's been awfully cold in here recently." It wasn't until a few days later that I realized I lived in this house by myself, and therefore, I controlled the thermostat. I could turn the heat up if I wanted to!

The reason I like Whitney's "Too Honest Lullaby" so much is that it makes me feel like I'm not alone in not quite feeling like an adult, even though I'm nearing thirty. Here are a few of my favorite lines:

"You'll never buy the right number of bananas / You'll run out or some will go brown / But that's okay"

"You'll remember the lyrics to hundreds of songs / And forget the name of the guy you just met / But that's okay"

"You'll cut one toenail weird which will get so ingrown / It becomes a major life regret / But that's okay"

"You'll have a junk drawer you always mean to clean out / But you'll never bother"

I listen to the song with these silly but relatable lyrics, and I think to myself, "See, I'm not the only one who feels this way. I'm not the only one who does these things. I'm not alone!"

And then Whitney hits me with these lines:

"And once in awhile you'll hit a wall / There will be a few times when things aren't okay at all / You'll curl up in bed, cry until your eyes are red / Wonder if you should just give up instead"

And I think to myself, huh. So I'm not the only one who feels that way, either.

She continues:

"But thanks to loved ones and their dedication / And sometimes astutely-prescribed medication / You'll find your way, back to okay"

 I am not the only one who needs my friends and family to function. I am not the only one who sometimes needs medication to function. And I am not the only one who needs to find my way back to okay.

I love this song because it's so real. It reminds me that the feelings I feel and the things I do are normal. I'm not always okay. And that's okay.