Due to all of the time behind the wheel, I often play this little game in my head (it’s a very scary place…), where I take secular music and think of it in context of faith. Love songs and country western are the best to do this with. Hard core rap….not so much. But I digress….
This one has been one of my favorites. “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel. It’s almost like a letter from God. The only real thing I can find is that God does want us to grow and change in our relationship with him. So he doesn’t want us to stay where we are (in terms of faith), but he does accept us….Just the way we are….
Just The Way You Are
The Stranger Released: 1977
Don’t go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don’t imagine you’re too familiar
And I don’t see you anymore
I wouldn’t leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I’ll take the bad times
I’ll take you just the way you are
Don’t go trying some new fashion
Don’t change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care
I don’t want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.
I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.
I said I love you and that’s forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.
Cool! You are so good at using music… I love it!
Aaron,
Wow! That song brought back memories of middle/high school days gone by for me. I’ve always had a hard time accepting God wants me just the way I am … sometimes you convince yourself that “you have to measure up”, but in all reality Jesus paid the price, which enables us to “grow” as we walk on this journey.
Good thoughts … and great music!
INteresting game!!!
In Jesus,
MAria in the UK
http://www.inhishands.co.uk
Thank you for the reminder!
That’s an incredibly great song you used! It is secular but I can just imagine God singing it to me. ^_^
I needed to hear that :>)
I think the way the Lord sees us is so different that we see ourselves.
Bless you Aaron!
Just happened upon your blog…Love the title for me this is the song
strumming my pain with his fingers
singing my life with his words
killing me softly with his song
killing me softly with his song
telling my whole life with his words
killing me softly with his song
i heard he sang a good song
i heard he had a style
and so i came to see him
to listen for a while
and there he was this young boy
a stranger to my eyes
strumming my pain with his fingers
singing my life with his words
killing me softly with his song
killing me softly with his song
telling my whole life with his words
killing me softly with his song
i felt all flushed with fever
embarrassed by the crowd
i felt he found my letters
and read each one out loud
i prayed that he would finish
but he just kept right on
kept right on
kept right on
and on and on and on and on and on
strumming my pain with his fingers
singing my life with his words
killing me softly with his song
killing me….
telling my whole life with his words
killing me softly with his song
he sang as if he knew me
in all my dark despair
and then he looked right through me
as if i wasn’t there
And He just kept on singing
Singing clear and strong
killing me softly
with his song
But “Just The Way You Are” was the first difficult song I learned to play on the piano…it’s still a favorite to play…………….
I’ll be visiting often……….