It was 2014. And Elgielene and I took a drive between two small towns on the western slope of Colorado. We spotted a meadow of flowers that overlooked a beautiful, expansive view of mountains in the distance. So I stopped and snapped a picture.
But I discovered a flaw in that meadow of flowers.
Well, the flaw was actually in my picture of the meadow of flowers. Not the actual flowers.
Yeah, I got home, enlarged the photo on my computer, and noticed telephone lines right across my “work of art.” But after staring at the picture for a bit, words popped into my head about how artists kinda feel a need to get something perfect. So, I wrote some lyrics to express how so-called “perfect” is about staying…
Inside The Lines
Inside the lines the grass is greener.
Outside the box the air is cleaner.
Some days your life runs like a river.
Some nights you only quake and quiver.
And then the sun begins to shine,
And then you draw another line,
And then the box becomes a place to store your things.
And then the flowers start to grow,
And then your words begin to flow,
And then you’re glad to join in when the whole world sings.
Inside the lines the route is shorter.
Outside the box there’s no recorder.
Some days your view is from the summit.
Some nights your dreams will let you plummet.
And then the sun begins to shine,
And then you draw another line,
And then the box becomes a place to store your things.
And then the flowers start to grow,
And then your words begin to flow,
And then you’re glad to join in when the whole world sings. © 2014 TF
But those lyrics never became a song.
I guess it felt too much like working inside the box. And you know what they say about how you gotta think outside the box. I’m not sure who “they” are. But I DO know that most of the time I disagree with them.
Anyway…
I could’ve left well alone. And no one else but me would’ve ever known about those lyrics. But I found a melody in my brain that seemed to go nicely with the image in my head of that meadow of flowers. And the melody made me work for several hours to put together lyrics that fit in better. And the result was a song that fit in very nicely with a bigger music project I was working on at the time.
It’s not one of my personal favorites. But it’s positive and upbeat. And it reminds me of something Paul said in his letter to the Philippian believers. Here’s the first verse and chorus:
I Can Do
Outside the lines the grass is greener.
But that will not change my demeanor.
Because my life runs like a river.
I’ll take what all my days deliver.
I know the morning sun will shine,
And so, I’ll draw another line.
I’ll keep a box of all my most important things
Inside my heart where they can be
A constant song of joy to me.
I love the sound of optimism when it sings.
I can do…what I need to. I know it’s so, so I can do!
If you can do things this Way, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:
Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.
It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Stay tuned,
