Focus

This is what I'm sure of, I can only show love

When I really know how loved I am

When it overtakes me, then it animates me

Flowing from my heart into my hands

So I'm praying, Father, help my heart believe

That right now You're singing over me

And fill me up with Your love

Here's something you didn't know: Steven Curtis Chapman is probably my all-time favorite music artist. I was drawn to him as a kid because we share a name, but also by his songwriting. He uses his songs to tell stories, and I have always connected with that. He hasn't been my fav every day of my life... Britney Spears pulled middle school me away from Christian radio into the world of secular music, and the state of Georgia pulled college me into endless songs about beer, bars, and trucks. But I am pretty sure SCC has spent the more weeks at the top of my chart than anyone else.

His new song "Love, Take Me Over" is another perfect example of why. I was riding back from the pool with ELE Saturday and this song was on the radio. These 7 lines of lyric just slammed me in the face. This realization is not new, but the explanation was so simple it forced a gut check. What a great reminder that the strength of my relationship with God is directly related to the health of my human relationships. Is my focus on Him or things down here?

Relationships are sort of my job. That is true for everyone I guess, but the four words that describe what I do (husband, father, teacher, and coach) all demand that another person (wife, child, student, player) exists. There have been times when I have felt exactly what this song is describing; I have been so comfortable and confident in my relationship with God that I have been bold and shared deeply in my human relationships. I have also been on the wrong side of this dynamic, when the hustle, bustle, and stresses of life rip my focus off my primary relationship. Predictably, these are the times I feel disconnected, tired, angry (not to be confused with hangry... which happens often), and would say I'm getting less out of life than usual.

So, thank you, Steven Curtis Chapman, for once again producing meaningful music and bringing such an important concept back into the forefront of my brain. I'm probably extra sensitive to this message right now anyway. Spring semester is usually crazy because of soccer, but job searching and an infant at home jacked the stress level up way up this year. I will be the first to admit that my actions have not always lined up with what I know my priorities should be. Since I have approximately 150 less human relationships for the next couple months, it is time to refocus on the things that are important. I hope Erica and Theo are ready for all the love coming their way...