Our Problems, Solve Themselves....

In the light of those who suffer around me and under me, my life isn't as horrible as it seems. When weighed against the cloud of witnesses that came before me, my life is Disney World. These lyrics I am about to post really did speak to me. Talk about a lesson in being a doer of the word and not just a hearer. To me one of the most important things that we need to do in order to be doers is to die to self. To forget what it is we want and focus more on the well being of others, both their present well being and eternal one.

Having no shoes is a complaint, however, when compared to a man who has no feet, quickly I lose the need for shoes and gain the gratitude for feet. Not having a first class meal when I'm out is a complaint, when compared to a boy who hasn't eaten in days, I gain a new appreciation for whatever is placed before me that I call edible.

In my last small group with the guys at Uth, a few of them spoke of what it means to not have a two parents. What one of them said was unbelievable. While he didn't have a father, he was thankful he had a mother. Here I am, a guy with both parents, and I come to realize, man I don't hug them enough, man I don't love them enough, and here this kid is so thankful for his mom. Talk about a lesson in being a doer. To be a doer, we must truly realize what it is matters to us, and when compared to others misfortunes and mishaps, we soon find that which we thought we lacked, we already had. Sometimes trials and tribs are necessary, because they tend to show us what we already have. For you and I, that's Christ and all He has given us, both now and for eternity (Titus 3:3-7). Now there's plenty to have joy about...

These thoughts had no structure, however, they did have meaning. Forget the man writing for a second, forget the blog, the website, forget the instrument and focus on the music. What is it saying to you...

The song is by a band called As I Lay Dying (they are hardcore, so if you venture to listen to the song, be warned, its heavy metal)

Bound to learn the hard way
This is the human condition
There is nothing that can be said
To stop us from making mistakes
When I look to myself as a source of ending pain
No matter how many times before I've failed

It seems our problems solve themselves
When we look beyond us to those truly in hell

The more I focus on myself
Then the more helpless that I become
So why not erase this point of view?
My suffering is trivial
Compared to those who know real agony

It seems our problems solve themselves
When we look beyond us to those truly in hell
It seems our problems solve themselves
When we look beyond our suffering

My trials seem insignificant now

Why won't we look beyond us?
Why won't we look beyond our despair?
It seems our problems solve themselves
When we look to those truly in hell

Personal redemption cannot change the world
Unless we down our lives for those who still suffer