If you were to try to take a wholistic picture of your life, what would it look like? How would you try to capture the nuances of your life - accounting for the spiritual, relational and emotional aspects of “where you are?” I’ve thought a bit about this. I have been putting together a retreat especially designed for youth workers and one of the key things I would like to guide individuals through is taking a picture of “where are we right NOW.”

So how do we capture this? I think one place to look at capturing this snapshot, so to speak, is in the discipline of the fine arts (poetry, drawing, sculpting, painting, lyrics and music). Here we can capture in a distilled way an authentic picture of the good and bad; the paradox and mystery; the highs and the lows; a whole look at where we find ourselves in any given moment.

One of the musical artists I have followed for years and one I seem to have “grown right along with” is Michael Roe. As guitar slinger with the 77’s, a member of the indie americana bluesy folk quartet the Lost Dogs and an amazing solo artist in his own right - the music of Roe has been a major part of the “soundtrack of my life.” He may not be anywhere near a “household” name - but in my household he is in constant rotation. He also provides the perfect illustration through his honest lyrics of one who has shared his moments of “where he is at” with his rabid “fan base.” By looking at two tunes he has penned - we can see two different snapshots of Roe’s life in Christ.

In 1986 (hey, I said I have been listening for a LONG time!), he wrote a song entitled, “The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes and the Pride of Life.”

Well, I feel
Like I have to feel
Something good all of the time
With most of life I cannot deal
But a good feeling I can feel
Even though it may not be real
And if a person, place or thing can deliver
I will quiver with delight
But will it last me for all my life
Or just one more lonely night

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

Well, I see something and I want it
Bam! Right now!
No questions asked
Don’t worry how much it costs me now or later
I want it and I want it fast
I’ll go to any length
Sacrifice all that I already have
And all that I might get
Just to get
Something more that I don’t need
And Lord, please don’t ask me what for

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

And I love when folks
Look right at me
And what I’m doing
Or have done
And lay it on about
How groovy I am
And that I’m looking grand
And every single word
Makes me think I’ll live forever
Never knowing that they probably
Won’t remember what they said tomorrow
Tomorrow I could be dead

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

© 1986 Fools Of The World, LTD. (ASCAP)

Above we see a man fighting the temptations of excess and wrestling with the struggle of doing what he knows will never satisfy. We see one who knows the right way to go - but finds himself allured by the false promises of pleasure, acquiring more, and fame. It’s an honest snapshot of a person who is conflicted, struggling, and unsatisfied. It is a picture of one who is drained, tired, and ravaged by tasting sin and becoming it’s slave.

Fast-foward 16 years… and we see a different picture of the same man. From his wonderful 8 song ep/lp “Say Your Prayers” Mike penned a beautiful song that provides another snapshot of his life. The song is entitled, Sunshine Down.

I marvel as I sip upon my sweet tea
I’m popeyed at the sweetness of my sweet peas
The blooming of my trees
Why does the sun shine down on me?

I’m grateful for the greatness of your soft hands
And thankful for the cleanness of my pressed pants
You part the clouds still I don’t see
Why does the sun shine down on me?

Sometimes I hear, sometimes I listen
Most of the time I’m stubborn and indifferent
Often I’m sad, knowing what I’m missing
And all the time I’m wishing things were all so different

Thinking of asking that the end don’t come too soon ‘cuz
I’ve got a friend or two
Could use a friend like You ‘cuz
It’s getting cold and now I see
Just why the sun shines down on me

Upon my friends, down on my daughter
A beam of light to walk upon Your water
Shine on and bless my mother and my father
Praying for me when I could not be bothered

If my house goes up in flames give it a dowse, please
But never let the flame You lit inside my heart cease
I cannot live without the heat
From Your sun shining down on me

© 2002 7 & 7 Is Music (ASCAP)

Clearly a better day than the one 16 years before, we get a glimpse of one who has a different set of priorities, one who is grateful, and one who while has no way “arrived” is on The Way. There is a recognition in this lyric of a person who can see themselves in the light of the Father of Lights - seeing the positive and the negative facets of their character and priorities in an authentic and honest way.

Where are we? If we took a snapshot - how would our song go? Or if you painted a picture what colors would fill the canvas? Would it reflect the struggle of staying faithful or the solitude of being at peace with creation and the creator (or some such place in between)? I think periodically it is helpful to take stock and to “paint a picture” of where we are, not to freeze us there - but to give us a sense of where we are in light of where we need to go. Just as it is hard to find ourselves on a map at the mall without the red, “YOU ARE HERE” arrow - we can struggle with the same ambiguity in our spiritual life. So take a risk and paint a picture, or write a poem or pen a lyric that reflects a snapshot of where you are today. Then allow it to become a prayer and ask God to make it a launching pad for moving you on toward where he is leading.