"What if We Were Real" by Mandisa

     I want to start this with the lyrics to "What if We Were Real" by Mandisa.

I'm tired of saying everything
I feel like I'm supposed to say
I'm tired of smiling all the time
I want to throw the mask away
Sometimes you just have a bad day
Sometimes you just want to scream
Tell me I'm not the only one
Tell me that you feel just like me

We keep trying to make it look so nice
And we keep hiding what's going on inside
But what if I share my brokenness
What if you share how you feel
And what if we weren't afraid of this crazy mess
What if we were real

I'm over hiding my tears
I think I'm gonna let them go
I'm over acting so strong
When I'm not even in control
We make it so complicated
But why does it have to be
Why can't we open our hearts and let everybody see

We'd think a little less of ourselves
We'd care about someone else
'Cause we'd know just how they feel
Maybe we could let someone love us
Maybe we'd a little more like Jesus
Why can't we learn to be real

 

     I could almost leave this whole post as just those lyrics. They are so incredibly true. I want to go over each verse, and talk about what I think they mean and what we can do in our lives in relation to them.

I'm tired of saying everything I feel like I'm supposed to say
I'm tired of smiling all the time, I want to throw my mask away
    
     I have so much difficulty with the first line. I can be so hypocritical sometimes. If I have an opinion that is different than someone elses, sometimes I keep it quiet because I feel like I will be judged. If someone asks me "Do you always believe God is real?" I would say "Of course! I know in my heart, always, that no matter what, God is real and is there for me." That really isn't the truth. I won't lie, I struggle all the time with wondering if God even exists. But I don't say it, because it isn't 'what I'm supposed to say.' The second line, I feel like that, too! I have had some pretty hard stuff happen to me in the past months, but I go to school every day, smiling like nothing happened. Sometimes, I had a terrible night the day before, but I don't tell my friends anything. I smile all the time, and it feels like such a mask.

Sometimes you just have a bad day,
Sometimes you just want to scream,
Tell me I'm not the only one
Tell me you feel just like me.
     
     Sometimes it does feel like I am the only one who doesn't have everything together, and I just want someone to tell me that they feel like that, too.

We keep trying to make it look so nice
And we keep hiding what's going on inside
But what if I share my brokenness
What if you share how you feel
And what if we weren't afraid of this crazy mess
What if we were real
    
      There is a huge part of me that really longs for deep talks, and knowing that I am not alone. There is a certain atmosphere that my peers take, that makes it seem like I am the only one who isn't happy all the time. I think there is an unexplainable bond that you create with a person when you share how you really feel. Whenever I get that feeling, like I am really not alone in some of the things I think and feel, it is so comforting. And the more we are real with each other, the more that sort of thing happens.

I'm over hiding my tears
I think I'm gonna let them go
I'm over acting so strong
When I'm not even in control
We make it so complicated
But why does it have to be
Why can't we open our hearts and let everybody see
    
     This year, I have put on a very strong shell, on the whole. I tell people that I am okay, that I don't need help. But a lot of times when I say those things, I am literally on the verge of tears. I have gotton so good at hiding my pain, that now when it is okay to show it, it is hard. I don't know why I do it, like this says. I don't know why I can't just let people see that I am broken, hurting, and confused.

We'd think a little less of ourselves,
We'd care about somebody else
'Cause we know just how they feel,
Maybe we would let someone love us
Maybe we'd be a little more like Jesus,
Why can't we learn to be real?
    
     I realize that in the parts before this, I have been going for being real in a totally self-centered way. I don't necessarily mean that that is bad, but there is the whole other layer that these lyrics put out there. If we all shared how we really feel with everyone, we would have more compassion for them. If we heard someone else's stuggles, we would love them more fully. I know I would gain respect for someone, if they weren't afraid to tell people their brokenness.

      And that last part, about being like Jesus- that really convicted me. If you aren't convinced that if is better to be real from anything else, let this be it. If we told everyone how we felt, and let them tell us, we would be more like Jesus. This world is a mess, but by sharing our sin and guilt and sadness, we are making it more beautiful. We really are being more like Jesus.

Grace

Why Fit In when You Were Born to Stand Out?

     First of all, I am terribly sorry for not putting a post up in the last couple of weeks. Even though I am fairly confident there aren't many people waiting restlessly at their computers, I still feel bad. I have been incredibly busy. Stuff just keeps on happening, and sometimes I seem like I'm falling behind everything. So, I haven't had much free time. But here I am, and I am very happy to be writing. Now let the actual post begin. :)



 
    That famous quote, by Dr. Suess, was the inspiration for this post. There isn't really any interpretation to it, it is simple and to the point. That idea, standing out, isn't quite as blatently related to Christianity as all of my others, but I think it still ties in awesomely to Christian principles.
    
     A few things have brought this idea to my mind in the past week:
    
     One, I was watching the chick flick Aquamarine last night, and remember this one moment. They are in a mall, looking over all the levels of escalators. Aquamarine, who, doesn't have a great sense of what is socially acceptable, yells "HELLO!!!!" down to all the people walking around, and they all look up at her. Her friends look at her like she's crazy, and she says "Why go through life unnoticed?"
    
     Two, I have been talking to friends and family members who have that mindset recently. I am not naturally that type of person. I am not shy, but I am also not particularly outgoing either. But I have some people in life that are just the opposite. They believe that it's okay to stand out. It's okay to be noticed. In fact, it makes life more fun!
    
     This is why I think it is a heart issue to stand out. God created us beautifully and perfectly. We are his masterpiece. Sure, we aren't perfect yet, but we will be. I think by trying to be invisible, no different than anyone else, it is kind of like telling God that he didn't make us special. Plus, you are just trying to fool yourself. We all know that we are all different, and that's the way it should be. Why hide it?
   
      I think that by standing out from the crowd, you can gain self-confidence, and really be more secure in your image. A lot of people try to hide who they really are, and their own opinions, because it isn't what everybody else thinks or acts. You should be proud of that! God made us to stand out, and I know I need help from Him to get out of the rut of blending in the crowd.

Grace
P.S. If you are interested in standing out, I reccomend the book Stargirl. It is written from a secular viewpoint, but it displays a lot of Biblical truths, and is a really great thinking book.