Cyndy and I watched the movie version of the hit musical “The Waitress” last night. The main reason I wanted to watch this show was that we are featuring some of the music from this musical in worship this Sunday and I wanted to understand their context. The movie version of the musical came out last year to rave reviews. The original musical started on Broadway in 2016 and was nominated for 4 Tony awards. This version features the pop star Sara Bareilles, who wrote the songs and lyrics for the show. If you don’t want to watch the show at least listen to Bareilles’ version of her hit song called “She Used to be Mine”. It is amazing. Here are the lyrics to the first verse:
It's not simple to say
Most days I don't recognize me
These shoes and this apron
That place and its patrons
Have taken more than I gave 'em
It's not easy to know
I'm not anything like I used to be
Although it's true
I was never attention sweet center
I still remember that girl
She's imperfect but she tries
She is good but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help
She is messy but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up
And baked in a beautiful pie
And here's a link to the songhttps://youtu.be/DToejUka-XU?si=pDMpdqOx8CTdu96j
I love this song! I think it shares the very heart of what it means to be a human. If I were writing a musical of the creation story, this would be the song Adam and Eve would sing right after they are sent out of the garden of Eden (or of innocence).
We read this story all wrong, by the way. We try to make it about doing something wrong and being punished, but, in reality, it a story about what it’s like to grow up and realize we are becoming an adult. We all “get thrown out” of our innocent childhoods sooner or later. We all wake up to the fact that the world we live in isn’t a Disney movie. And we come to realize that life is messy out here. And we’re kind of messy too!
We’re imperfect but we try
We are good but we lie
We are hard on ourselves
We are broken and won't ask for help
We are messy but were kind
We are lonely most of the time
That’s just who we are!
So often, though, we as Christians have kicked ourselves for it. We’ve tried to wring the sin and messiness right out of us.
Is that really helpful? And is it wise?
Maybe the better way is to learn to accept all of who we are, the messy and the kind, and to see us as I believe God does…as all of who we are “baked in a beautiful pie!”
One of my favorite books is a book written by Mike Yaconelli called “Messy Spirituality”. I read it every January just to remind me of the beautiful mess God has created me to be. One of my favorite quotes in the book is this:
“Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives.”
This year, maybe the truth of this quote will hit home. I’m a beautiful pie and so are you.
Your friend and pastor, trying out a piece of “God loves me no matter what” pie…I dare you to try some! Brook