Hard To Get
Rick Elias Mark Robertson Jimmy Abegg Lyrics

You who live in heaven
Addressing God, who is believed to reside in heaven

Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Request for God to listen to prayers of earthly beings

Who are afraid of being left by those we love
Expressing fear of abandonment by loved ones

And who get hardened by the hurt
Admitting that pain sometimes leads to emotional numbness

Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
Questioning whether God remembers His time on earth

To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Commenting on the difficulty of maintaining faith while living on earth

Did you forget about us after You had flown away
Asking if God still cares about people on earth

Well I memorized every word You said
Claiming to have a deep understanding of God's teachings

Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
Acknowledging fear of the unknown

While you're up there just playing hard to get
Perceiving God's actions as intentionally elusive

You who live in radiance
Addressing God's divine nature

Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
Contrasting God's spiritual form with the physical bodies of humans

We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Admitting human imperfection compared to God's infinite patience and love

Still we do love now and then
Acknowledging human capacity for love despite flaws

Did You ever know loneliness
Asking if God experienced feelings of isolation

Did You ever know need
Asking if God ever had unmet desires or necessities

Do You remember just how long a night can get?
Asking if God remembers the subjective experience of time on earth

When You were barely holding on
Imagining a vulnerable version of God

And Your friends fall asleep
Referring to the biblical story of Jesus' disciples falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane

And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Emphasizing the physical and emotional toll that Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
Questioning why God seems to allow suffering and pain

While You're up there just playing hard to get?
Reiterating the perceived elusiveness of God

And I know you bore our sorrows
Referencing the Christian doctrine of substitutionary atonement

And I know you feel our pain
Believing that God empathizes with human suffering

And I know it would not hurt any less
Acknowledging the inherent pain of loss and grief

Even if it could be explained
Suggesting that understanding does not always alleviate emotional distress

And I know that I am only lashing out
Recognizing that anger is a human response to pain

At the One who loves me most
Acknowledging the paradox of being angry with a God who is believed to be all-loving

And after I figured this, somehow
Indicating a realization or epiphany

All I really need to know
Suggesting a shift in priorities or perspective

Is if You who live in eternity
Asking if God is aware of human existence and cares about earthly events

Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
Repeating the request for God to listen to human prayers

We can't see what's ahead
Admitting human limitations in predicting the future

And we can not get free of what we've left behind
Acknowledging that past experiences and traumas can affect the present

I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
Describing internal struggles or anxieties

All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
Listing negative emotions that are difficult to overcome

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Expressing a need for hindsight to understand God's plan

Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
Suggesting that vulnerability is necessary for spiritual growth

And so You've been here all along I guess
Realizing that God has been present throughout life's struggles

It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
Reiterating the perception of God's elusiveness