Being a bit of a Switchfoot fan, I recently saw the music video for their new single, “Oh Gravity!”
You can see a low quality version on YouTube: here

After watching it I thought, “That video felt really convoluted, disorienting and dizzying.” Then I soon forgot about it and left my mind to ponder more pressing matters such as “what’s for dinner?” and “what’s with those numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) anyways?”

However, I awoke the next morning with that song in my head (well it was actually just the chorus part) and I started thinking about the video that went along with it. I came to the sudden realization that this video was a pretty accurate portrayal of how I’ve seen my life going. I feel like all the things going on in my life are like a swirling mass of images just flying about chaotically and despite my best efforts I can’t seem to maintain any semblance of order. I’m like a man trying to work on a million piece jigsaw puzzle in the middle of a cyclone. I keep grasping for pieces out of reach and once I finally get a few edge pieces together, the winds blow them apart again. Be it situations, people, emotions, relationships, the future, hopes, health, careers, plans, ideas, tasks, problems, fears, prayers, dreams, needs, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, it doesn’t seem like I can keep anything together. Maybe that’s why I’ve found myself feeling frustrated and overwhelmed lately, I just don’t have control over anything.

But you know what I’ve realized? That it’s OK. It is God who builds up and tears down, who destroys and restores, who brings the storm and the calm. He has control over all things (though I often do not see it) and He will faithfully bring me through to the end. I need not worry about maintaining control of my life, since it is in the care of the most caring Being alive. Through His work, I can survive in the eye of the hurricane, in complete serenity, unharmed by the tumultuous chaos around me.

And after thinking about it, the words seem so appropriate “Oh gravity, why can’t we seem to keep it together?” We will never be able to “keep it together” and we shall always be breaking down and falling apart when we trust in our own efforts. It is the God of the universe who holds all things in His hand and keeps it balanced it perfectly like giant mobile. It may appear to be tipping out of alignment, but really it’s just balancing itself out again. So what is there for me but to obey and look forward to the day when this whole jumbled mess is finally connected.