Blithering Idiot

I just finished listening to one of my new favorite bands, Stephanie’s ID. They recently produced a song called Hey Hey Hey Go… it’s a song about a feeling we get; a feeling like you hit a wall and just can’t get up anymore. She sings of the people who come along and help you up, they brush you off and tell you it’s going to be o.k.

The song really resonated with me. My mind was flooded with all the times people had been there for me. At just the right moment and with just the right words they bandaged the wound. They didn’t always verbally say it, but some how when they spoke I just knew I’d be fine.

You know those moments when you just want somebody, anybody, to fix the problem you face. Then out of the blue, someone asks “how are you doing?” Not the “how are you doing” that we all typically give and receive, the “how are you doing” that comes from true concern and empathy. You end up pouring your heart out to them and mid way through you realize you sound like a blithering idiot (we’ve all been there). There’s that quiet moment when everything becomes still and you just sit for a moment and reflect. Then that person looks at you and you can tell they’ve truly listened. They don’t go on and on with some magical answer. They don’t attempt to solve your problem there on the spot (as if they could). They simply look into your eyes and tell you it’s going to be o.k.

I can’t help but think, more times then not, these are the very words of God. He looks upon all that He’s created and all that He loves and simply asks the question “how are you doing?” Somehow we translate this simple caring statement into an accusation, and we try to cover up. We never get to the “blithering idiot” phase, and because of that we never get to the end of the conversation. The part where it gets all quiet and we discover that God himself has actually been listening. Because we never get to that stage we never get to hear the Divine himself whisper gently, it’s going to be o.k.

The next time you feel like you hit that wall, may you find the very ear of God, may you know that he listens and cares and may you hear the words of the almighty saying “it’s going to be O.k.”