My Commute Music, Jake Owen, and a Fear of the Future

“Can you shake the hand of the man you’re gonna be? When it all shakes out”

For the last month and a half, I’ve been driving back and forth to Jackson several days a week for my graduate assistant position in the Union University Sports Communication office. This 1 hour and 10-minute commute each way gives me ample opportunity to listen to plenty of music.

So far, I’ve completed albums from Ella Langley, Jackson Dean, Chris Stapleton, and Post Malone, while listening to several of my own playlists and some from Apple Music. One morning, I decided to shuffle my Jake Owen playlist. I’ve been a fan of his for some time because of the lyrical style of his songs but hadn’t listened to him in a while.

Anyway, one of the songs that came on was “When It All Shakes Out.” This song is listed sixth in Owen’s latest full-length album Loose Cannon, which debuted in 2023. I’ve listened to all the songs on that record more than once, but I had forgotten the depth of the words in this one song in particular, especially those listed above.

I just turned 23 in August, and by my calculations, if, Lord-willing, I live until I’m at least 80, I’ve already lived 28.75 percent of my life. Put in these terms, my life feels so short, and I’m not even sure at this point, almost 29 percent into it, that I know what I want to do or how to even go about getting there.

I do know that I want my life to have meaning, which is only truly possible inside God’s will. However, sometimes, I think I get scared about the future, so instead of doing something about it, I do nothing, which isn’t helpful at all.

In my mind, right now, I would love to do this fulltime. I want to write about things on my heart and tell the stories of those around me. I really believe that God gave me the gift of words, and yet at times, I think I take it for granted. For example, I could have had so many more articles published on this platform by now, but I’ve put it to the wayside.

As May 2025, the end of my graduate assistant position, draws ever closer, I realize that a true next step is inevitable. This realization is daunting to me. Thankfully, Psalm 90:12 and Psalm 139:16 have been brought to my attention in the last week, and I want to take them to heart and meditate over them in the coming months and even years.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (ESV). This verse encourages me to live my days with purpose and not just let them slip by. I look back over this year, and I find that I have done many things and made wonderful memories. But I don’t think I was acting with true purpose or intent, which is something I would like to change.

Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (ESV). This verse makes it clear that God already knows what’s in store for me. I may be uncertain about the future, but thank goodness, my God is not. As I move into this next phase of my life, I’m so glad that I can rest in the comfort of His omniscience.

Now you may be asking, what does any of this have to do with Jake Owen’s song “When It All Shakes Out.” I’d say it has everything to do with it.

When I get to the end of my life, whether it be when I’m 80 or 56 or 102, I want to be able to look back over what I’ve done and be content, knowing I answered God’s call on my life. I don’t want to have regrets. Instead, I want to be able to “shake the hand of the [wo]man [I’m] gonna be, when it all shakes out.”