The Rest of The Story

If you've been around a while, you've probably heard sermons about "Paul's thorn in the flesh." You've probably heard a lot of theories about what his thorn was, or who it was, or whatever. The best sermon I ever heard about Paul's thorn was pretty simple, and it went something like this: we don't know what it was, and we don't need to know. All that matters was he had it, and God wouldn't take it away, but left it to keep him humble and dependent on God. Hmm. Imagine that. Do you think that maybe, possibly means that we don't always need to know . the rest of the story?

From time to time I've gotten comments on my songs like, "You should tell a little about why you wrote them-it would make them more meaningful." When something along that line was said to me recently, the Lord set me free from a pressure I hadn't even known that I felt.

When I experience something, the experience is mine. It will always be a part of me, and it will always belong to me. But no matter how thoroughly I try to explain it to you, it will never be yours. It will never mean as much to you as it does to me. Even more, it will never say to you what it has said to me.

There are times when an experience can be put into a tiny capsule (such as this) and perhaps be understood by some of those who read it. It may even be meaningful to some who read it. But there are other times when an experience cannot be expressed this way. Sometimes there isn't exactly an experience; sometimes there is only a feeling or a thought. When that feeling or thought finds its voice in a song, that song is the only voice it has. Trying to explain it would only confuse. At yet other times, the compilation of experience leaves behind a concept that is so sweeping that only a novel can say it properly.

The simple fact is that not every experience is meant to be told. There are some things I've never attempted to tell; others that I've told completely without success. People don't always understand, and the more profound your experience, the fewer people there are who would even begin to understand what you're talking about.

We don't always need to explain ourselves. Paul didn't explain himself-he just used that "thorn" to make a point. It is very possible (I know this is hard to believe) that no one needs to know your story. Your story may not have happened to be told. That doesn't make it without purpose, however. You can still live your experience and then leave behind something beautiful for all to see.

Those who understand will understand, anyway, even though you haven't given all the grimy details.

If they need to be told, they probably won't understand the rest of the story.

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