Gym playlist # 13 Meant to Live (switchfoot)

The very last song on my playlist is Meant to Live.   In one of my past employment lives, I worked for a company that, ahead of its time, had a gym for the convenience of its associates.   In addition to the gym, they had full cafeteria food court and free soda all day every day for its associates.  TGIF parties, complete with beer kegs and wine bottles were frequent at this entrepreneurial company that was, at one time, voted the best place to work in Pittsburgh.   I consider myself lucky to have worked there, and have many contacts from there with whom I am still in touch.

I was in my twenties then, and had two tiny tots at home, who were born 11 months apart from one another (yikes!)   I really appreciated being able to use the gym at work.   One of my gym buddies at the time was Peter (you may remember a little story about his dog in Cheyne, Shane, Bear, Peter, Little Carter, Miss Kitt’s Awana…. part 3)

Peter was an avid runner, and would often occupy the treadmill next to me.  Sometimes while he would run beside me, I’d peak over at his MPH – it was not uncommon to see him run for long periods of time at 8 or 10 MPH. I recall this song being one of the songs he would listen to (this was long before iPhones and earbuds, and the gym had a stereo system that its users were actually free to use, subject to learning how to work together to agree on music selection). The music was generally cranked super loud to be super motivating – the louder, the better.

(Just a quick humorous aside (sorry, I digress – look, a puppy!): One of my most embarrassing recollections of using that gym occurred the day I forgot to bring my work clothes to change into after my workout – and didn’t discover until AFTER I had worked out AND showered.    Luckily, the company had an on-site store and I was able to purchase a shirt (although it was a size 2X because they were going through a clearance) to wear with my sweats that day at work….  memories ;-))

At any rate, I learned this song long before I learned anything about Christian music.  I knew that Peter was a Christian and often went on missions trips with his church.  I liked the music of this song, but paid little attention the lyrics at that time.  As I read them now, however, there are so many that I connect with – “fumbling his confidence”, “failed attempts to fly”, “Have we lost ourselves?” (often, I’m afraid, we lose ourselves), “whether mice and men have second tries”, “We were meant for so much more”, “We’ve got more than this world’s got to offer”, and I could probably go on to recite the whole song.

More than any of the other powerful lyrics, however, are two lines of the song that stand out among the others.

“Maybe we’ve been living with our eyes half open;

Maybe we’re bent and broken”

Some of us are bent and broken.  In fact, if you aren’t bent and broken to some degree, I would think you haven’t truly lived.  To be daring enough to live life to the fullest, we are bound to have some bumps and bruises.  As a parent, one of the hardest lessons to learn is to allow our kids to get some bumps and bruises – to figure out life on their own.  Being bent and broken is neither a badge of honor, or a sign of shame – it’s simply a tool that God uses to shape us into what He wants us to be.

Often taken out of context, this reminds me of the verse in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and are called according to His purpose.”

God never wastes a hurt.  God never wastes a bruise.  He uses them all to shape who he wants us to be.

What hurts have you experienced?  What have they taught you?   It’s a good day to reflect on how they have helped to shape who you are…   and think about who God wants you to be.

Be blessed today, my friends!

SB

Meant to Live:

Fumbling his confidence

And wondering why the world has passed him by

Hoping that he’s bent for more than arguments,

And failed attempts to fly, fly

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside

Somewhere we live inside

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside

Dreaming about Providence

And whether mice or men have second tries

Maybe we’ve been livin’ with our eyes half open

Maybe we’re bent and broken, broken

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside

Somewhere we live inside

We were meant to live for so much more

Have we lost ourselves?

Somewhere we live inside