Song

I really wish I could compose a melody line for a song. But I can't. I can write lyrics. Here is the start of something. I really like the ideas I have, but it's not a stand alone poem. It would need music and major revising to be anything really good. For now, it's just a rough draft.

Father,
I tested positive today.
One night I drank too much,
That boy across the room
I thought he was the only one who cared.
And so I tested positive today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.

Father,
I lost my hair today.
Blond curls on my pillow case,
I thought the doctors said this would help,
But I feel more pain.
And I lost my hair today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.

Father,
My plans were crushed today.
Two years was not too long to wait,
I thought he would never leave me,
But I trusted in lies.
And my plans were crushed today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.

Father,
I woke up today.
Went through my life like always,
But I thought before I choose a path,
For desires always have consequences.
So I woke up today.
This is how it's supposed to be,
This is reality,
I give it all up to You.

Bodies

This post (like all my blog posts) was written in one sitting at a spur-of-the-moment impulse, and posted without editing. Forgive ahead of time any grammatical errors, random flow of thought, unfinished thoughts, illogical structure, and all other forms of mistakes that editing would fix.

I was talking with a couple friends the other day and one of my friends was talking about possible controversial paper topics. She joking said she should write about nakedness. She then went on to wonder why people thought the naked body was "disgusting and gross." The conversation went on to other paper topics but it got me thinking. How do I view a naked body? Why DO we wear clothes? I know it sounds weird but it was a interesting thought.

We wear clothes because people always have. It's considered proper and correct to do so. But is there another reason we wear clothes? Do we wear clothes because we view the body as disgusting? Or do we wear clothes because the body is something too beautiful to view all the time? Or is there something else?

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree they realized their nakedness, were ashamed, and covered themselves. Christian women are called to dress modestly and cover themselves so they don't arouse lustful thoughts in their Christian brothers. Our bodies are temples of the Lord and we are called to take care of our physical appearance. Husbands and wives are encouraged to revel and glory in the beauty of each others bodies.

Is the naked body so disgusting and revolting that we wear clothes? If people started walking around naked I would be disgusted. I don't want to see anyone naked! Yuck! But I don't think my body is disgusting. I don't think bodies are disgusting in general. Spiders are gross, mushrooms are gross, dead rotting carcasses are gross, the body is not gross.

But if the body isn't gross, why is the thought of seeing naked bodies appaling? Is it because it is a social norm to not see people naked? Is it because we associate nakedness with sex and thus with either husbands and wives in covanant or the porn industry? Does the sight of a naked body translate as porn, lust, sin and thus something to not be seen?

Our bodies are made in the image of God so there is something amazing about the body. It's something so wonderful that we cover it. Our bodies are beautiful creations that we are to guard and take care of. Clothes are a means of guarding that beauty. Our bodies are saved for our spouse and if we walked around naked there would be no glory to be uncovered or saved for one particular person. The body would loose all glory and marriage would loose that aspect of wonder and beauty.

Because of sin, the body has been turned into an object that is seen to encourage lust and sin when viewed wrongly. Clothes are a way to help protect from this sin. Women dress modestly for the sake of men. We cover ourselves to discourage the sin of lust. Walking around naked would encourage the sin of lust, and so we wear clothes.

Before the fall there was no sin. Adam and Eve wore no clothes and never thought to sin after each others bodies. They were purely objects of glory. After the fall they wore clothes because they were ashamed to be naked. The sin of lust came after the fall. In a way clothes are a reminder of the fall and the sin of the human race.

So why do we wear clothes? I think it's because they are a protection and a reminder. The human body is a beautiful thing. Clothes protect that beauty and preserve it. Clothes also serve as a reminder of the fall; without the fall there would be no clothes. The fact that we have clothes that compliment us and enhances our natural beauty is a sign that God still loves us and gives us wonderful things.