Bright Lights

Here I am to elaborate on those "Bright Lights" that I mentioned in my last post! For this post, I'm going to do something I haven't done here, but enjoy doing on my own time. I'm going to post the full lyrics with my thoughts in between. They'll be in italics. If you couldn't distinguish my blabbering from the eloquence of Matchbox Twenty. (By the way, I don't own these lyrics. Are you kidding? I'm not half brilliant enough to come up with them!) Heck, go ahead and take a listen to "Bright Lights" again if you want!

(Verse 1)

She got out of town on the railway, New York bound

Took all except my name

I think sometimes we want God to help us and bring us blessings without actually making a commitment to him - we try to take all except his name.

Another alien on Broadway

Without Christ, we are nothing. We couldn't even exist without God quite frankly. We need God. As terrible as this may sound to some of you, I find a great comfort in knowing that I am nothing without God. I know myself, and I know that I will fail. How great is it to know that you don't have to rely on your own strength?

Well, some things in this world you just can't change

Some things you can't see until it gets too late

(Chorus)

Baby, baby, baby when all your love is gone

Who will save me from all I'm up against out in this world

Right here, I think more about God asking me who will save me. Not the other way around although the song makes it sound that way. Obviously God doesn't need us, but he does want us. On that note, isn't it pretty awesome that He wants us without needing us. I mean, I NEED water to survive, I WANT brownies. Ironically, if you offered me brownies or water now, I would choose brownies. It's the same way with God. We aren't necessary to him, but he wants us. That right there should make you feel pretty loved.

And maybe, maybe, maybe

You'll find something that's enough to keep you

But if the bright lights don't receive you

You should turn yourself around and come on home

Here's where my original comment came from regarding this song. No matter what, the bright lights of the world will never receive us. Nothing will satisfy us like Christ can and will. God knows this and just wants us to "come on home."

(Verse 2)

I got a hole in me now

I got a scar I can talk about

Wow. Wow wow wow. If anyone has a hole and scar, it's most definitely Jesus. I'm just going to stop talking and let that sink in.

She keeps a picture of me in her apartment in the city

But some things in this world

Man, they don't make sense

Some things you don't leave until they leave you

Do we sometimes pay God lip service, and say things like, "Oh yes I believe in God," but go months without really reading in our Bibles or praying? I know I have. Just like this girl who keeps a picture in her apartment, but is gone. We say one thing, but act on another. This also makes me so thankful that God doesn't leave us even when we leave Him.

And the things that you miss you say,

Now obviously the chorus comes next. Paired with this last line, I think that's a pretty accurate description of how God is towards us. He knows how terrible we are. He knows that we have wayward hearts, yet He wants and loves us, and pleads for us to come home. 

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

Let that city take you in (come on home)

Let that city spit you out (come on home)

Let that city take you down, yeah

For god sakes turn around

Just like in the parable of the prodigal son, God lets us have our time in "the city." He doesn't keep us from doing our own thing. Does it sadden Him? Yes, but hopefully, like me, you will realize that the city isn't good and doesn't receive you. When we "live it up," we realize that it wasn't as great as we thought it would be. Rob Thomas has actually talked a little about this in the context of his marriage. Even though it's not necessarily the best, I'm glad God lets us go in the city just to let us get "spit out."

(Now for a sequence of "come on home's", "yeah's," etc. that finish out the song.)

Well there you have it. I peek inside my tangled web of a mind where everything intertwines. If I ruined the song for you, sorry not sorry. Ha! This post is very near to my heart as it essentially tells my story. I was the prodigal daughter. I was the girl who had to go to the city. I just knew that things would be better if I lived life my own way. I didn't write this post to offend or upset anyone, but show you all that there is hope. If you are struggling with your faith, there is a Light that will receive you. I don't know if I did a very good job at it, but this was my attempt in conveying how much God loves each and every one of us. Even though we are His "Downfall." Oh Here I Go Again... I need to Stop. Okay. I'm done. Sorry, sometimes I let my love of music get out of hand. But hey, that's why I'm the "Be-Bop" Blogger, right?