Sometimes when I listen to music a certain lyric will get my mind and thoughts going 90mph. Recently I purchased some CD's because I needed some better music to listen to. One of those was Neon Steeple by Crowder (great CD by the way). There are a couple songs that I will play on repeat A LOT. One of those being Ain't No Grave (not same as sung in southern gospel). Some of the lines from the song say, 'Troubles come for everyone, death has no respect for love. Roll that stone, I won't be found...Lord I'm crooked from head to toe. Got dirty hands and a dirty soul. I was lost but now I'm found. Ain't no grave gonna hold me down.'
For whatever reason this particular time my thoughts went to - isn't it something how we can be walking around and on the outside we look fine but we'll be dead/dying on the inside. It can be a wide range of ways one could be dying. I think they all lay on the foundation of fears and lies. Fear of failure, rejection, etc. The lie you aren't good enough and never will be, etc. and ultimately you find yourself in a figurative gra e dying inside. Thank God the story doesn't have to end there. The weight of the load may make it look like the grave is going to win but I love the part of the song that says, 'Ain't no grave gonna hold me down...I will rise.' When you start setting some stuff down and those detours and road blocks that you thought were only to discourage you but they in fact nudge you in the direction you needed to go an amazing thing can happen. You start seeing those fears and lies for what they are and suddenly that stone begins to roll away inch by inch and you ain't inside that grave anymore. You're no longer lost but have been found. I think everyone at one point or another goes through those moments of feeling like their dying inside.
Which can make it difficult to see the stone being moved. Maybe it can be said sometimes those graves we dig for ourselves (I think I have by running and hiding) but then maybe it's also a way to help us ultimately learn to trust, have faith and just grow. So it may feel like you're dying inside but just keep on and keep the faith because that very next detour may be the exit out of that grave.
Earlier I mentioned Third Day (may I also recommend their CD Lead Us Back). On the CD I just mentioned there are many great songs, one being Soul On Fire, which quickly became a song that every time I heard it I kept thinking that's what I want (which will make no sense if you've not heard it I suppose). There's another song called I Know You Can. It starts out, ' Give me the words to say bring me the strength to stand, take all the doubt away.' It kinda goes with being in that grave dying inside but you see that sliver of light shining through and you think something along those first lines in the song I Know You Can. The song goes on to say 'so close I can taste it. I stand at the great unknown...You speak and I will listen, You ask and I will go.' The song also mentions not wanting to waste this second chance. I don't even know what number chance I'm on now but it's well past a second chance but I don't want to waste this chance.
In conclusion, don't be discouraged by the detours (I've seen some of the prettiest places when driving and having to take a detour). Don't let that stinking thinking , fears and lies trick you to believe that stone is blocking your way when in reality it is nothing more than a pebble. Lastly, when you think you can't take one more step promise yourself to take one more step because most likely that will be the very step where you will rise and you'll get that strength to stand and the doubt will begin to fade (I've had it happen to many times not to believe it).
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