Years ago, I wrote a song called, “Under the Same Sky”.  It was written while I sat on the porch steps and looked up at the stars and thought about my friend who I knew was probably out walking “under the same sky”, seeing the same stars. (She always went for a walk in her neighborhood at a certain time of night.)   But of course, we were seeing those stars from different vantage points.  You see, we had had a bit of a ‘spat’ that night.  I don’t even remember what the ‘spat’ was about, but what I do remember is that I did not want that wall up with my friend.  Relationship was more important than the disagreement.  So much more important.

So, this song was written.  The fun thing is that my friend and I got to sing the words of this song time and time again, probably many times to ladies in the audience who may have had their own little ‘spats’. I’m not sure why I am even sharing this now, but I just feel compelled to encourage women to stand together and encourage each other.  We need each other. We just do. We can go as lone rangers, and many of us do.  But I think that comes from  unresolved ‘spats’ and hurts.

Like I shared, I don’t have a clue what the original disagreement/hurt was over.  But I so remember feeling such sense of turmoil at the discord in the relationship.  I’m so thankful that we quickly resolved it because keeping short accounts is a crucial piece in keeping relationships healthy and strong.  Forgiveness is a foundation in relationships.  We will fall short.  We are all misunderstood at times.  We will disagree on things.  But, do I value the person more than my desire to be right, or to be understood?  I guess that’s the question I need to ask myself when I feel that inclination to ‘spat’ rising up in me.  And bottom line, am I secure enough in the love that God has for me, to intentionally love when it’s not easy.

I work with some students who easily take offense.  It’s not pretty. And from my vantage point, oftentimes, their lives are much more difficult than they need to be.  Taking quick offenses keeps them on the defense all the time, and the walls of protection that these precious students build end up locking out the very thing they crave the most, positive relationships and connections with others.  I often encourage the students to “like water on a duck’s back, let it roll”.  That special oil that ducks have on their wings to make the water bead up and roll off of them?  We all could use some of that.  A firm sense of who we are in Christ and how we are so loved by Him is like that oil that lets a lot of offenses just roll off.

At the end of our lives, we won’t remember the rightness, or winning an argument.  We’ll remember, and be remembered for who were were in our relationships.  Between the lines of our words, what did our lives say.  Who did they point to?  My favorite line of the song is : “We are under the same sky, we are under the same stars O’ may we lift our eyes to see the whole as we see the parts.  We are under the same sky, And I’m thankful I’m not alone. May the struggles just refine us, and remind us this world is not our Home.” Each individual star lights up a tiny bit of sky…and the vastness of the collective stars shining, that’s what makes the breathtaking beauty of a night sky.  The parts make up the whole.  We need each other.  And it’s a beautiful gift when we realize that and value the gift we hold.

Under the Same Sky

We are under the same sky

Walking on the same fallen land

We all have our own heart’s cry  

We must all learn to crawl before we stand

We are under the same sky,

Created by One Master Hand

then why oh why

are there so many misunderstandings?

(Chorus)

His design is to refine us

Iron to iron, soul to soul

His Design both frees and confines us

But His Desire is that we would know

That we are under the same sky 

Created by One, yet so unique

To be cherished, not despised

To be seen, to be heard, and just to be

We are under the same stars

O Billions of stars -One sky

Each star shining it’s own light

For One Creator and One Grande Design

We are under the same sky

we are under the same stars

O’ may we lift our eyes

to see the whole as we see the parts

We are under the same sky

And I’m thankful I’m not alone

May the struggles just refine us

And remind us this world is not our Home

His design is to refine us

Iron to iron, soul to soul

What does the Creator require of us

Humble hears, eyes that see, lives that help the world to know

That we are under the same sky

Walking on the same fallen land

We all have our own heart’s cry

We must all learn to crawl before we stand

We are under the same stars 

And I’m thankful I’m not alone

May the struggles just refine us

And remind us this world is not our Home

This world is not our Home

We are under the same sky…

Copyright 2006