I’m a big fan of Andrew Peterson. He is currently my favorite music artist. He doesn’t write worship songs, but his songs will lead you to a place of humility, seeing God and worshipping. He doesn’t write peppy, three chord pop songs where second verse is same as first. His songs are authentic stories and raw and you find yourself hooked to the lyrics because they are expressions of your own feelings and questions.
A popular song of AP’s right now is “Dancing In the Minefields.” It’s a song he wrote for his wife after they had a fight.
The chorus speaks of the vows they made in marriage…
We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
Dancing is great. Dancing in minefields? Well, that’s a little dangerous don’t you think? Sailing, again is great. In a storm? Not the preferred destination.
Do these contrasting word pictures remind you of times things didn’t turn out quite like you expected?
The last line of the chorus, “I believe that’s what the promise is for…” serves as a reminder of the vows between a husband and wife. I’m a single guy, so I haven’t made such a promise. However, I have found myself in many circumstances that fell short of my expectations…when I made the commitment.
Married couples wear rings as a reminder of their commitment. To my married friends, listen to this song and be encouraged to fight for your marriage when things get tough.
We all need reminders in every area of our where we have made promises and commitments when things get difficult.
- Maybe you need to see your paycheck as a reminder of the commitment you’ve made to a job that’s not always easy.
- If you’re like me, you need a calendar to remind you, not just of appointments, but of ways you have committed your time to people.
- If you’re a parent, leave a picture of your kids on your mirror or desk as a reminder of your commitment to see them mature for God’s purposes and not settle for their own.
Listen to the song. I encourage you to spend some time this weekend selecting reminders of the people and things that matter most. Fight for the cause of never bailing on a commitment when things get tough.
See you all back here on Monday.
- What are some reminders you have in your life?
Dancing In the Minefields by Andrew Peterson
I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway
We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago
CHORUS
We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
“I do” are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I’ve heard
Is a good place to begin
‘Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it’s an easy price
For the life that we have found
And we’re dancing in the minefields
We’re sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love’s chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me
‘Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear
‘Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you
