Crowded in the Closet

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen...

I sat with an old friend at Denny's tonight (do I really have old friends at 23?). He caught me up on the current lives of the crowd we used to run with in early high school. Maybe it was gossip, I dunno. But story after story revealed how far we've all fallen. Ugh, that's a horrible way to say it. The stories I heard showed me how messed up our lives have the potential of becoming. And it's not isolated to certain "stereotypes" we saw in high school.

These are my friends from when we were supposed to be innocent, when the world was at our fingertips, and we all had huge dreams of fantastic things that probably would never be accomplished, and yet should have been enough to have us going someplace. Aim for the moon and if you miss, you'll hit the stars, right? No one suggests that you might fall down with them...

Was the conversation sad? Yes. Were the stories upsetting? But it made me hopeful to see that both of us, who have our fair share of demons to fight, are fighting. That some of us have made it through hell, and are trying in grace to stay out of it. And that either hearing or being a part of those stories, we still love the people in them. Not pity. I love them because I was them 8 years ago, and I am them now. We are no different, except for what we choose to settle for.

So it only seems appropriate that I share with all of you my most recent song. Jesus said that when we pray, we are to go in our rooms, or as some say, prayer closets. I have a lot of praying to do. I have to pray for myself, for my friends, for this screwed up world which honestly sucks sometimes. And guess what? We're not alone, whether we're the one praying or being prayed for. There are plenty of other people who are in the same boat...or closet. Pick whatever illustration you want.

Oh and I say this with as much pleading as a person can on a blog: do not be the friend who 8 years from now, your friends ask, "What happened....?" Fight it. Fight the complacency, the abuse, the crap that all the after school specials talked about. It's not worth it, and you are worth more. It will catch up with you, as it caught up with all of us. Shoot for the moon, and for Christ's sake (literally), get there. Just get there.

Crowded in the Closet
close the door, it's time to hide
come and seek and you will find
you're not the only one inside
it's awfully crowded
it's awfully crowded in the
it's awfully crowded in the closet

saints and sinners, lovers, whores
broken, prostrate on the floor
dust and ashes, garmets torn
it's awfully crowded
it's awfully crowded in the
it's awfully crowded in the closet

found yourself too far from home
wandering for a place to go
feeling lost, betrayed, alone
oh, we're not alone
it's awfully crowded
it's awfully crowded in the
it's awfully crowded in the closet