nothing specific...more of a general reflection on the band and the ideas they frequently broach...just thoughts being thrown out into the world for everyone to see...baring the soul and opening up the mind just "because"...thoughts are so deep...so intense...but it's only when one attempts to open that window and to share those thoughts that we really get to experience life...where we get to know someone and let someone else get to know us. Dave Matthews really hits me not because the band's music sheds new light on God...or puts any sort of new perspective on life but because it just feels...sounds...so real. its music that i can relate to...it's music that i can see clearly as someone else's attempt to open up in a way that I can relate to.
walking out of work as many times as i do, i reflect on the flowers that line the pathway. looking far ahead, they look so perfect. just rows and rows of perfect flowers on perfect flower plants...this to me is beauty. it's the beauty of this earth...I say that because when I look to the side...considering plucking one for my favorite flower recipient, I notice very quickly that they all have imperfections. they are living, dynamic, tangible, things...they are impacted by their environment and can easily look perfect if just given a quick glance.
we must dig deeper.
life can be way too easy. it is WAY too easy to just get through life. i'm not saying that life is easy here...just that if you really think about it and just ride the surface of the vast majority of situations in life, you can get by unscathed. you can go to work, give a very surface, non-interactive review of your weekend on Monday when co-workers ask...skip out at lunch and eat by yourself....participate in meetings and bury yourself in "work"...and really, you can just skip through life without getting too down.
this is not ideal for several reasons. it's easy to say that we would not be "living life to the fullest" or perhaps that we would be simply being selfish...but the reality is that on a personal level...on a core human level, we are not satisfied by these surface interactions. as humans...faulty, broken humans, we are, at a very fundamental level missing something...missing that deep, spiritual connection with God. we try to mimic this missing relationship by crafting relationships with humans...seeking to fill the hole in our beings...we crave a deep connection with humans...
what's odd about this...assuming we pursue this road and build up genuine relationships...opening our hearts to others and letting them open up to us (what I would call "investing in others")...and say we even go a step further and build a community of friends, family and others that we are invested in...theoretically allowing and encouraging greater connection with others...we will still not be satisfied with what we have. we can live the most fulfilled life possible on earth with all things of this world and we will still have a huge gaping hole in us...in our lives...right?
i have heard many stories of the "unfulfilled millionaire"...the guy who has everything that is listed in the "american dream"...the money, job, cars, baywatch wife, friends with everyone...whatever you want to put on your list...and who is still terribly depressed. what's different for us is that we do not have all of those things that are a part of that dream. some of us have lots of friends, some of us have more money, some are happily married...but not many of us have "it all"...all the things this world list out under the webster's definition of success. maybe i'm alone in my thinking, but I dont really want those things. sure, i like having money to buy toys and whatever...but every good thing that we are given is really just another thing that god has gifted to us (as a guy from work likes to call it)...something he has entrusted us with to glorify Him.
we are here on earth to glorify God...we will never be fulfilled as long as we are alive on this earth in our current states. that is just not meant to be. our bodies are faulty, our minds are faulty...everything around us is faulty...this world is faulty.
if we could achieve perfection here on this earth as humans, would heaven be attractive? if perfection can be achieved here...we would be able to experience that....be able to experience life to the fullest...after all, perfection is just that...perfect....lacking nothing...the absolute state of yay/woohoo/joy/happiness/love/etc etc. (quick aside...just reflecting on that makes me excited, knowing that i cannot/have not experienced all that God has in store for me)...ahhh...
just some thoughts...going to bed now seeing as how it's past 130am here on the east coast...
