Hello dear friends!
I have been wanting to write this particular blog post for a while, but life kept getting in the way.
Anyway, by now, most of you who know me will know that "Defying Gravity" (originally from the Broadway musical "Wicked") is pretty much my favourite song ever.
But what most of you don't know is why this song holds so much significance for me. So I decided to use this blog post to really break it down for y'all :)
But first, here is the YouTube link to Idina Menzel's latest beautiful version of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LG5i4K5mzU
Anyway, on to the exegesis!
Something has changed within me, something is not the same
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!"- 2 Corinthians 5:17
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ"- Galatians 1:10
Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep
"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, but let us be awake and self-controlled" - 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap
When I think of this line, it makes me think about taking a leap of faith, and that leads me to remember Hebrews 11:1- "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance in that which we do not see".
It's time to try defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me down
This whole chorus speaks to me about attempting to do the impossible: "defying gravity". And I am reminded that "All things are possible with God" - Matthew 19.26
I'm through accepting limits, coz someone says they're so
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13
Some things I cannot change, but till I try I'll never know
This line reminds me of the Serenity Prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".
Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I've lost
Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost!
Funnily enough, this phrase reminds me of a Dr. Seuss quote that I love: "Be who you are, and say what you feel, coz those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind".
Unlimited, together we're unlimited,
Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been
Dreams the way we planned 'em
If we work in tandem, there's no fight we cannot win
This verse speaks to me of the incredible, overcoming power of friendship. It reminds me of the verse "By yourself you're unprotected, with a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped". (Ecclesiastes 4:12, The Message)
Unlimited, my future is unlimited
And I just had a vision, almost like a prophecy
I know, it sounds truly crazy
And true, the vision's hazy
But I swear someday I'll be...
Flying so high, defying gravity
This verse speaks to me about having hope for the future, which of course leads me to Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'."
It also brings to mind Proverbs 31:25- "She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come".
So if you care to find me, look to the Western sky
As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly
I equate flying with a sense of freedom, so this phrase calls to mind the verse "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" - Galatians 5:1.
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free
This is a line that I really held on to after my last relationship broke up. It gave me the strength to recognise that the relationship was unhealthy, and that I was actually much better off single (single, NOT "alone"), than staying with him.
And since my heart has healed, this line has been a celebration of my singleness- enjoying this season of my life, and chasing all my little bucket-list dreams. For example: travelling to Austria, attending innumerable theatre shows, and meeting a few of my favourite YouTubers.
To those who'd ground me, take a message back from me...
Tell them how I am defying gravity.
And finally, this phrase speaks to me of the power of my testimony- the belief that my story will be an inspiration to others. And of course, the relevant Bible verse here would have to be "They have overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony"- Revelation 12:11.
So there you have it!
Thanks for reading, friends xx
Love
Melanie Raye.
