Switchfoot musical - fourth movement

I've determined that my life is a Switchfoot musical. It sounds completely insane, but every time a new Switchfoot album comes out, it's very reflective of things that I am going through at the time. These are the various movements of my life through their six albums...

The Beautiful Letdown
release date: 2/8/2003
when I discovered it: 2/7/2003

This was the first Switchfoot album I get as a pre-released because I was anticipating it so much. Since it came in the mail, Kristy got to it first and she had the first song playing right when I walked in the door. After a moment or two to realize what was going on, I laid down on the floor right there and listened to the entire album while looking at the lyrics.

"fumbling his confidence and wondering why the world has passed him by... hoping that he's meant for more than arguments and failed attempts to fly" -Meant To Live

Fighting with laziness has been a recurring theme in my life. Before this time in my life, my laziness really didn't affect anyone but myself, and that worked just fine for me. This season served as a turning point for me when I became a lot less lazy, mainly because I had a lot more riding on my actions than before.

"we are a beautiful letdown, painfully uncool, the church of the drop-outs, the losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools ... oh what a beautiful letdown, are we salt in the wound? Hey, let us sing one true tune" - Beautiful Letdown

2004 was a year of dismantling for me. Upon the birth of my first child, Jed, I found a new freedom to critique what I adhered to. I took apart many things to see what was inside of them, including the Church, myself, family, the whole bit. This quote gave me such hope, knowing that "easy living" wasn't the end goal and that God used letdowns all the time was life to my bruised soul. This quote still gives me hope. 2004 was the year I began thinking about the church God wants. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I ventured out and started something. When I lose my way on this journey, I can hope that Vox Church is a beautiful letdown, striving to sing one true tune.

"twenty-four finds me in twenty-fourth place ... twenty-four voices with twenty-four hearts, and all of my symphonies in twenty-four parts, but I want to be one today ... and I'm not who I thought I was twenty-four hours ago, still I'm singing, 'Spirit, take me up in arms with You.'" - Twenty-Four

The feeling of being unwanted goes with the territory of leaving an establishment. It's painful and feels somewhat like betrayal - not for the faint of heart. Although I didn't technically leave the Grove until March of 2005, the separation had already started in my heart, and this song was my dirge, my farewell speech, and my heart's cry all in one. So much change happens so fast when you're in that kind of transition. Most times, it was all I could do to say, "Spirit, take me up in arms with You" and not lose myself in the madness.

"I have no generation, show me my motivation, one world, one desperation, one hope and one salvation... we've been blowing up, we're the issue... we're ammunition, we are the fuse and the ammunition." - Ammunition

Social commentary is one of the strong suits of Switchfoot lyricist Jon Foreman. I believe he nails our Western culture in this song. I began to see some of the same things, even among the Christian culture, that did not stand in line with Jesus' teaching. I saw so much of our [my] own problems stemmed from sacrifices I was unwilling to make and stand I was unwilling to take.

"yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead, yesterday is a promise that you've broken, don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes... this is your life, are you who you want to be?... is it everything you'd dreamed that it would be when you were younger and you had everything to lose?" - This Is Your Life

Upon hearing this song, I made a promise to myself that I always wanted to answer this question, with all honesty and integrity, with "Yes, this is my life and I am who I want to be." Growing up without a mentor / hero usually made it hard for me to stand on my own. So approaching my life with confidence wasn't my norm. 2004 was the year I grew a backbone and began standing for what I believed, even if I was the only one. It's still scary, but I'm so glad God matured me in this way.