May 27, 2008

Kiss the Rain

I think this is something we forget in our day and age. We forget how we should live. How we should love. I want you all to read these lyrics. I want you to read them and slow down enough to take them in. As we all settle into spring and summer months, and fid ourselves lifted by the sunshine, take an afternoon and watch the flowers bloom. Watch the sun shine, and just exist. Think about what it means to live. Is it all about the money? Is it all about the job promotion, or the latest fashion? Is it all about what we can do with our own hands, looking out for ourselves, never smiling. I have news for you. The sandcastle will be washed away. The money can't go with you when you die. The job promotion isn't what your family remembers.

Do you love? Do you smile? Do you look at the rain with a grumbling heart or awestruck eyes? When is the last time you saw a rainbow and thought about God's promise?

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back

Chorus: Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
Cuz it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth
'Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So how do you live? Do you stand out and catch snowflakes on your tongue? Have you told your grandmother you love her? Do you know how to make jam? When is the last time you have eaten cookie dough from the bowl? Don't let yourself become a part of this fast-paced world we seem to seek acceptance from. It has never been about that. It's about smiling and loving. About sundaes and soft grass and bare feet. It's about ordinary moments that are so extinct. Garden parties, barn raisings, and community. Its about air and water and clouds in every shape imaginable. Its about swimming in the lake and collecting dandelions.

I think its time to kiss the rain.