Chameleon Me (Pin My Hope) - SQOTW

And now for something a little more hopeful instead of my notorious moanings and whinings:

You said, "Hold me that way I know you won't forget."

You were visibly upset, and I was the reason.

I said, "Yeah, you're right, but I believe in happy end-ings,

and those million new beginnings that are ours just for the asking."

-- from Chameleon Me (Pin My Hope), Bill Mallonee's Dear Life CD

This song just as easily could have been on the Friendly Fire CD, and as I understand, most of the songs from Dear Life and Friendly Fire were made together. There had been talk of a double-album, but I don't think the cost-benefit would have been as effective for Bill Mallonee, so that idea was scrapped.

Regardless, what an awesome sentiment. Ken posted a day or two ago on wondering about happy endings. Ken's post ended saying "One day." Here, we see that same belief set forth in the song probably not long after the song's protagonist (if I can use that word for a song) has hurt the person he loves the most, his spouse. She has forgiven and is asking for him to hold her. Then he mentions the happy endings -- and following that, my favorite line in the song:

"and those million new beginnings that are ours just for the asking."

What a wonderful expression of the forgiveness seventy times seven notion.

I think it was Peter that came up and asked Jesus, "How many times should we forgive our brothers if he sins against us? Up to seven times?" And how like me that question is -- "Christ, exactly how many times do I have to forgive my wife/friend/brother/co-worker before I can stop and let him have it? Because if it's seven, then they've already exceeded my limit." But no, Jesus, with God's view of things, turns our own pettiness upside down. "No, not seven I tell you, but seventy times seven." In other words, it doesn't end. You keep forgiving. And each time, there is renewal. In the same way, we can come to God and ask him for forgiveness of our million sins. Each time, we get those million new beginnings that are ours just for the asking. Oh, and what a relief that is.

In theory, it should work this way in all of our relationships. If we forgive as God does, it works in practice as well.

Is forgiveness easy? For any of us? Is it easy for God? I think we need look no farther than the Cross to ask if it was easy for God. Which means for us, sometimes it's going to be the hardest thing we ever do. It is going to grind your guts out sometimes, and you're going to have to wrestle with everything in you to do it. And then to do it over and over? Well, if Christ is our model, and we are to put on Christ, then yes. It may not be what we want to offer the majority of the time. But on the other hand, most of us know what it's like to be forgiven at some point in our lives, whether by God, parents, people in our family, at our works, at our schools. When someone truly forgives you, what a burden it takes off! In the same respect, what a burden you can lift from others when you forgive. How important is it?

The result of forgiveness, I'd say, is the happy endings that we're all looking for. Every single last one of us.

Bill Mallonee