When Nothing Comes

These days, I spend a lot of time trying to write it seems.  Songs, blog posts, Facebook statuses and also the odd tweet.  I find myself blessed with many platforms from which to share my inspirations and thoughts. The only problem is that some days it seems that I have nothing to say and too many things that are calling for fresh ideas!

What do we do when there seems like there is no fresh water to draw from the well?  When the tank of ideas seems to be on empty and when nothing comes.  Inspiration can be a fickle thing.  Some days it seems as though there is not enough ink in the world to support my ideas. Other days for the life of me, I can't bring anything useful or interesting to mind.  I would like to be able to write a great song or blog everyday, but it just doesn't work like that. No matter how hard I try, I cannot force an idea.  In fact as I sit to write this post I still am wondering what to say.   

I am learning the key is to keep fueling myself with material and ideas, even when I can't take them from my head onto the page.  I have no great revelation to share today. All I've got is an idea to talk about my lack of an idea! As a Christian artist, I could never be short on inspiration or things to sing about. Especially when it comes to God.  The part that I struggle with is HOW to get it down at times.  Ideas are just ideas until the moment you communicate them in a fresh, unique way. Therein lies the problem.  Sometimes, only time and God's divine inspiration can bring a thought to fruition.

As an example, I recently wrote a song called "Always Hope" that was taken from Psalm 71:14. My wife gave me the verse a month before, and I loved it from the moment I read it.  I heard such a resolve in the author's words.  The phrase, "I will always hope," captured my thoughts.  He was going to hope no matter what because God was worthy of his hope!  As much as I loved the verse and the ideas that filled my head, I carried that verse on a small piece of paper in my backpack for weeks.  Everywhere I went.  I would pull it out from time to time, look at it, and still nothing would come.  Then tragedy struck.

As my last post mentioned, a very well loved leader in our church was killed.  All of the sudden, this verse that had consumed my thoughts, began to take on new meaning inside and inspired thoughts. I was prompted to write my last blog on the subject.  About a week later, I pulled out that tiny scrap of paper with the verse scrawled on it and sat down with my friend and bandmate Gabe.  I told him of the idea and we began to write. We had a new reason to write about hope.  Hope that is in God and God alone.  We have no answers and life is short, but we will always have HOPE.  By the next morning the song was done.  I can't wait to record it.

This is just an example of how one verse led to one idea that led to one song.  They are all different. Some ideas simmer for years and others come together in thirty minutes. What I am finding is that I need to be fueling myself with inspiration and God's Word, even if I don't feel inspired. When the time comes and life happens, I want to be ready!  So, let's stop to look around at the beauty and tragedy in this life. Let's be inspired to see God's hand in all things.  Let's write, talk and sing about Him.  He is our inspiration!