New Seasons Of Things

Years ago, I had a wonderful, wise friend tell me that I didn’t need to hold on so tightly to specific artistic disciplines… that I very well may be talented in a lot of areas and need to be open and honest and welcome transitions from one to another in my life because at certain times, in certain seasons, the inspiration and motivation and things-to-say wouldn’t necessarily exist in the discipline I thought I should be focusing on. 

I didn’t believe a word of what he was saying. 

Five years later, that subtle, delayed mentorship is being proven true by everything that’s happening in my life. I doubt i’ve had anything to say musically for quite some time now, but i’ve held on tightly to it nonetheless; and subsequently written mediocre songs AND prevented myself from using some of those gifts to say things elsewhere. The terrible thing about holding on so unmovingly is that when something gets taken away, it hurts. We trick ourselves into believing we own these things, or that we’re entitled to have them. But how long can you keep your hand in a fist? The closed fist mentality does nothing but drain our energy and, inevitably, hurt like hell when our hand has to be forcibly opened to remove something that isn’t ours in the first place. 

I want to keep my hands open and let my gifts rest in my palms. I’m grateful for them, but they can be taken from me whenever God wants to take them. And the crazy, almost-illogical thing is that living like that is freeing. I trust He knows and loves my heart and so I trust that. And i’m free to enjoy the change of the seasons and all the excitement and apprehension and good-fear that comes with trying something new.

All that to say, you’ll still hear some music tonight from me at the show… but you’ll probably hear some poetry, too. Can you dig it?

Welcome to the next season.