How often do we think about the little things that happen every single day? Such as why a red light turned green at a certain time, or which foot we put first and why. These little things we pretty much take for granted, and don't even bother thinking there's any rhyme or reason to them. However, if you believe as I do, they were all part of a grand plan. That brings me to something I realized a few weeks before writing this post. One of the little things...
Hopefully if you've read this blog before you will know that one of my favorite (okay, my absolute favorite) artist is Jackie Evancho. Her story, as far as most of the world is concerned, is that she first surfaced on America's Got Talent because of a Youtube audition. It is this audition that I'm talking about here. From what I hear (this is not simply my opinion, but what I've heard from people who know a few things) she is arguably the best singer in the world, if not history. Even before she auditioned on AGT. However, for whatever reason, her first two normal auditions were never accepted and she did not get to stand before the judges.
Thinking about that one day, I realized something. There was a reason for that. When most people audition on that stage, they come up to introduce themself then do their thing on the stage. Here's an example of how a normal audition in front of the judges works:
I use this video of Anna Graceman because I am currently listening to her while I type this post.
However, things ended up different for Jackie. As I said, she auditioned twice but was rejected and never got to stand in front of the judges in a normal audition as Anna above did. Instead, one year AGT decided to incorporate a Youtube Audition, where the audition with most votes would make it into the 12 finalists (if I remember correct). Well, she was by far the most voted audition from what I hear. And because of her being refused two years then brought in because of the Youtube Audition, she gets a nice stage setup for her performance:
The lights are setup, there is the fog, and just the whole mood has been set. If she had been accepted on one of her other two normal auditions, none of this would have happened. But, because she was waited two years (willingly or not), her first performance in front of America was made wonderful. Far better than a normal audition.
I wonder how many other fans have thought about this. It's the little things like this we don't think about, or even complain about. Many fans would say it's a stupid thing that she wasn't accepted sooner. But I say, it's a good thing. It allowed her to grow even more skilled, and have a beautifully setup stage with everything focusing on her for her first big appearance in front of America. It set it up for her to blow us away even more than a normal audition.
So why am I bringing any of this up? Because I believe that all these things, big and small, are part of a plan. Jackie Evancho's first appearance in front of America was setup by someone far, far beyond this world. He had a great plan, and it involved Jackie being revealed in this way. She was revealed to the UK in a similar way, as a guest on Britain's Got Talent:
(You have to actually follow the link, as embeding is disabled)
The stage was set, and I don't mean that in a literal way. We can't look over the little things so easily, they have meaning. They have signifigance. So sometime you should just stop and think about these little things that happen to you, or have happened. Maybe as you think about them, you will see part of the bigger picture. When I was thinking about the signifigance about Jackie's first appearance on AGT, I suddenly saw part of the bigger picture. Give it a try.
I have been listening to this song, State Of Emergency a lot recently. It was brought to my attention because of the government class I've been in. We would talk about many different subjects (gun control laws, corruption, abortion, ect.) and then I would come home and listen to this song. The lyrics would really jump out at me. The lyrics were so strong to me that I even shared them with my government class. One of my class mates suggested I put it on this here blog, and I thought that was a good idea. So, here I am! Thank you, you gve me another post.
Anyway, here's the song:
And here are the lyrics:
[Verse 1]
We used to think that our ignorance is bliss
But we can't keep on thinking that this moment doesn't exist
There's people fighting and fighting and fighting
For all that they own
It seems we twisted reality again
Looking for the opportunity for us to dig in
We're getting deeper and deeper and deeper
Into the unknown
(We've got to open up our eyes)
[Pre-Chorus]
How long will we close our eyes to the youth?
How long until we recognize the truth?
How far will we let this go?
[Chorus]
It's a state of emergency
It's time we see
There's a need to take action
This is a state of emergency
We're too blind to see
All of these simple distractions
[Verse 2]
All our attention is directed to the mirror
We want to forget that people live in terror
We're their only way out and the time is right now
We gotta grab a hold of this moment
[Pre-Chorus]
How long will we close our eyes to the youth?
How long until we recognize the truth?
How far will we let this go?
[Chorus]
It's a state of emergency
It's time we see
There's a need to take action
This is a state of emergency
We're too blind to see
All of these simple distractions
[Chorus]
It's a state of emergency
It's time we see
There's a need to take action
This is a state of emergency
We're too blind to see
All of these simple distractions
[Verse 3]
How far do we let it go
Before we all take control
We are the hands
We are the feet
So we gotta go
Stop waiting for someone else
To take control
(Take back the control)
We could be their last hope
[Chorus]
It's a state of emergency
It's time we see
There's a need to take action
This is a state of emergency
We're too blind to see
All of these simple distractions
[Chorus]
It's a state of emergency
It's time we see
There's a need to take action
This is a state of emergency
We're too blind to see
All of these simple distractions
That should be all of them. It is a very powerful song because of the lyrics alone. The actual music itself just adds to the emotion very well, even the beginning guitar. It introduces the emotion. But once the lyrics come in, it becomes very powerful very fast.
"We used to think that our ignorance is bliss" If I were a preacher, I could probably do a whole sermon on that first line. Heck, I could do a whole sermon on this song if that were the case! But this first line speaks so well about people today. It even fits along with what we discussed in that government class I was talking about "you may not care... until it effects you!"
"But we can't keep on thinking that this moment doesn't exist" This just makes me think of people who are "just doing their thing". Or who don't care about what others are going through, or about much else at all. Which... kinda describes the average American, on both of these lines I just quoted. Heck, most of this song describes the average American.
"There's people fighting. . . for all that they own" Many of us think we are just fine, and try to further ourselves, but we forget that there are people who struggle to own anything. The rich hardly give the poor a thought. Those above rarely care about those below.
"It seems we twisted reality again" This is another one of those lines that really gets me, especially the "again" part. This so well describes what most everyone does. What the health industry has done, what the fitness industry has done, what the politicians have done, ect, ect, ect... We have made things more complicated then they really are. We have hidden the truth, or given half truths, or fit the truth to what works for us so much, it's become normal. We keep on twisting reality.
"Looking for an opportunity for us to dig in" Wow, that line just burns. Once again, that is so very true. I'll use just one single example of this, because I want to keep things simple. The health industry wants money, so it has "twisted reality" to make people think that they have to buy all their fancy equipment, food, pills, medicine, services, ect. to remain healthy. They simply want to make money off our (well, others, not mine) suffering. That is why obesity exists (in part), because those up top want to "dig in" on the profits.
"We're getting deeper. . . into the unknown" We keep on digging in so deep, twisting reality so much, being ignorant and forgetting about the importance of things, that we're getting ourselves in deep. America, the "land of the free" is over 14 trillion dollars in debt. "The borrower is slave to the lender", yeah, land of the free indeed...
"We've got to open our eyes" This just seems like a statement to me (well... it kinda is anyway). Or even almost a plea. We can't keep on thinking that ignorance is bliss, we must acknowledge that this moment exists.
"How long will we close our eyes to the youth. . . until we recognize the truth" To my understanding, this is what the song was written about. About the youth, the younger generation. The whole song, as I believe it was originally written, was saying that the youth are in a "state of emergency". They need our help. We've allowed their morals (and therefore, all of ours) to slip.
"How far will we let this go?" This line might be the one that hits me the hardest. Hence, the reason I named this post after it. This is such a strong question. How long will we allow ourselves to sit back and be comfortable? Staying comfortable is what allows corruption to slowly seep in. We've been letting that happen to long! How long until we decide to step out? How far will we let this go? How far will you?
"It's a state of emergency" This is the answer to the question. If there's an emergency, what do you do? You act immediately. Well guess what, everything is in a state of emergency! We must act now! This song was written years ago, yet Pillar (the band) said this of the state of things then. It's even worse now! How far will we let this go?
"It's time we see there's a need to take action" Yes. Yes, it's time we do. This line says so much. This one simple line says more than long speeches, fancy campaigns, and neat little slogans. Simply, "there's a need to take action".
"This is a state of emergency, we're to blind to see all of these simple distractions" Cars, cellphones, computers, internet, movies, food, parties, and much, much more. These are the simple distractions. We can't see past them, and that is why "we keep on thinking this moment doesn't exist" and why we need to "open our eyes". We are so worried about our own little world, that we can't see past it. We are to blind to see past them.
"All of our attention is directed to the mirror" BAM! Right in the face of Americans like myself, right there. We think so much about ourselves. We only worry about ourselves.
"We want to forget that the people live in terror" It's a good thing the mirror only reflects our face back to us, and not reality; because this statement is so true. There are wars, kidnappings, murders, and so much more going on, but we just party away. Or worry about getting to job on time. Or making sure the paint on our car is in good shape. Or maybe even about "the game". We push aside the hard truth, or as my class mate quoted the "inconvenient truth", if I remember right.
"We're their only way out and the time is right now" It is us, those who have the power and ability, who can fix things. Being comfortable won't fix anything. As a matter of fact, fixing things will be very, very hard. People will lose jobs, people will die, people will be hated. The very fundamental core of society will be shaken. But how far will we let this go before we realize this? Change will happen... whether we like it or not. For good or bad. I would rather good change happen sooner rather than later, when it will be less hard (since it won't be easy).
"We gotta grab a hold of this moment" Not tomorrow. Not next year. Not in some future generation. Now. It may be to late if we wait any longer.
"How far do we let it go before we all take control?" Many of us just live life, and grumble a bit at the laws that pass that take away our freedoms. We "sympathize" with the poor, or the abandoned. We have issues with the weakening morals of the country, but we don't want to "offend" anyone. When will we take control? When will we take action?
"We are the hands, we are the feet" This line applies most heavily to Christians, since we are the "body" of Christ. It is our job to act. Yet... many churches and believers have twisted reality, live in ignorant bliss, pretend that the moment doesn't exist, and are to blind to see past their simple distractions. They want to stay in their comfort zones. But it is us, above everyone else, who should be stepping out.
"So we gotta go" Once again, telling us to act on this emergency. When you're house is on fire, you don't wait until your flesh is melting before you consider getting off the couch. No. You get going! There is no reason not to in an emergency!
"Stop waiting for someone else to take control (take back the control)" This line also applies most heavily for Christians. This nation (America) was found as a Christian nation by Christians. This is a state of emergency now! How far will we let this go? We do need to take back the control! The country will grow weaker, and weaker until we do. If we do not, the country will consume itself. Our inaction could be the beginning of the end. Because a country as big as America destroying itself will effect the world.
"We could be their last hope" This line applies in so many different ways, I don't even know where to begin! We could be decades away from the end for all we know. Someone you know may be hours away. The lives of those others around the world may not have much longer. There may not be anyone else to help them. There may be no one else to help us.
I listened to the song probably more than a dozen times while writing this post. I still haven't tired of it. It is a very powerful song.
So how far will we let this go?
How far will you let this go?
This is a state of emergency, we gotta take control.
a lot recently. It was brought to my attention because of the government class I've been in. We would talk about many different subjects (gun control laws, corruption, abortion, ect.) and then I would come home and listen to this song. The lyrics would really jump out at me. The lyrics were so strong to me that I even shared them with my government class. One of my class mates suggested I put it on this here blog, and I thought that was a good idea. So, here I am! Thank you, you gve me another post.