Say I Won't

 

Good morning, afternoon, evening or whatever time of the day it is that finds us together sharing the joy of this beautiful life that we have been given to live out! I had already titled today's Flat Tire thought "Learn What It Means to Live, Not Just Be Alive" before something happened that literally brought me to tears and instantly changed the title of today's message to "Say I Won't". From previous blogs, you may have gathered that I spend a great deal of time listening to worship music, which in my opinion has had a profound impact on my life. I'll have to say many times I suffer a little from "lyricosis", or the habit of singing the wrong lyrics to the songs I'm listening to. Come on, admit it, you are just as guilty as I am! Well this self-created urban term actually brought me to where we are with today's FTM title. 

The song "Say I Won't" by the band MercyMe has been out for a while now and I really fell in love with the line in the song that proclaims "I’m gonna know what it means to live, and not just be alive" yet I really had no idea what the next couple of lines said. All I knew, or thought I knew, was that the last line said "Sail On". That really didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I thought the band was alluding to keep on going and live out that life. So, as I sat down this morning I figured I would look up the song's actual lyrics so I didn't share misconstrued info. What I actually ran into was the official video of the song "Say I Won't" which is the line in the song that I had been crooning, "Sail on!" What happened next changed the whole meaning of this encouraging and motivational song, and also the direction of today's FTM Thought. 

The remaining lines of the stanza in the song go like this, "The world’s gonna hear, cause I’m gonna shout, and I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music out, say I won’t" Well if that isn't a challenge then I don't know what is. If you grew up with me, or spent any amount of time with me over the years you probably would attest to this statement, "don't dare me to do something or tell me I can't because that just means I'm gonna do it." The challenge in this song is one that grasped so much more of that thought process as I watched the video behind the words of this song. 

What I didn't know was that the song "Say I Won't" is a backdrop for the life of one of the bands crew members. In 2019 Gary Miracle, longtime band staff member with the band MercyMe, found himself in a septic medical state that resulted in the loss of both forearms and both legs below the knee. As the video and song reached the line that I had once thought was a directive to move on, the words "say I won't" took on a whole new meaning to me. It's like I could hear Gary Miracle saying, "Tell me I can't have a normal life, tell me that I won't write again or feed myself again. Tell me I won't walk again and I'm gonna prove you wrong, don't tell me I won't because I will!" That message is what I want to share with you today. It may be the world that's telling you that "you can't", but more than likely that push down is coming from a place that is a great deal closer to home than the outside world. 

So many times, the main deflective force in our lives is that little voice inside our heads. "You're not smart enough, strong enough, capable enough, or how about, you can't do that, or it won't matter if you do that anyway". Those voices should serve as motivation to show the world that you will, that you can, and that you are going to do it because you can and you will! I love a challenge, a good buddy of mine and colleague, Daniel Aldridge and I have a saying that we use in so many instances. "If you say NO, then we say it's ON! What is the world telling you that you can't do? What is it as you are sitting in your chair telling yourself, you just can't do it? Listen to the words of the song, "I'll be dancing when circumstances drown the music out". Say I won't. I dare you, say I can't, challenge me, Say I won't. I will!

Where does this confidence come from? How can I be so sure? How can Gary Miracle be so confident that he is going to walk again? Because "... greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world" I John 4:4. If you have a relationship with the One that gives you the strength to face every challenge that comes your way then you know, that is if you truly know Him, you know that "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. In my life I live with that confidence, in my coaching I won't allow my athletes to use the words "I can't", I hate to even write those two little words down. The only thing I can't do is admit that I can't do something is my only use for those two words! When I saw the video for the song, "Say I Won't" I was so moved, because I know many people in Gary Miracle's life have said "he will never be able to walk again", well I could pretty much hear Mr. Miracle, saying "watch me, I will walk again!" What an appropriate last name, Miracle. The truth of the matter is that it won't be a miracle it will be the fulfillment of God's promise. "While I’ve been waiting to live, my life’s been waiting on me, I’m gonna run, No I’m gonna fly, I’m gonna know what it means to live and not just be alive". Can you say that today? Are you living the life you were created to live, or are you just alive, breathing in and exhaling out, waiting for the inevitable to be fulfilled? I choose life! I choose to help others more than I help myself, I choose to live my life dancing even when the music isn't playing my song! How about it, are you going to live? Are you going to fly? "Say I won't". I dare you.

"Say I Won't"

Coach Carter