Music has always played a significant role in my life and not just a particular genre. I love all all genres of music...even what my kids refer to as "creepy or highly inappropriate". Yes, I have exposed the "be careful little hears what you hear" of my children from time to time...not intentionally of course but when your phone connects to the car upon entry, well the Apple music may belt out the last played song while I was mowing the yard or scrubbing the tub. With my love of music, also comes my love of musical artists t-shirts as seen in many of my posts...again, some of the groups may or may not have been in the "creepy or highly inappropriate" categories. I have even debated the whole reason why I have listened to artists of different religious backgrounds that may not be inline with my own.
Whether it is the joyful praise of Sandy Patty, the lively spirit of Flat and Scruggs, the smooth sound of TLC, the boombastic sound of L.L. Cool J, the elegant sound of Bach or even the cryptic sound of Queen...for me, music isn't always about the lyrics. The lyrics do not always invoke that feeling you get when you hear the first few bars of a song.
I have shared in a few of my posts my on again off again relationship with depression. I
haven't shared a lot about the ways I have coped with it in the past. Sure I have taken my share of medication from time to time...sometimes it helped often times it didn't. I have attempted to work exercise into my daily routine and even tried a more homeopathic way of finding some relief from that overshadowing feeling of hopelessness. My post the other day, I closed with how important it was for me to recognize and want to come out of that darkness and into the light of Jesus and to leave my burdens with Him so that I can fully rejoice.
For me, music is about the rhythms and beats and generally not about the lyrics. In 1 Samual 16-23, David picked up a harp and began playing...not singing but playing...and the sounds from that harp refreshed Saul and forced out the evil spirit that had once consumed him. Rhythmic sounds have the ability to pull me deeper into the darkness or lift me into the light. In this particular reference I am only speaking of the rhythmic sound and not the lyrics. I am clearly not a singer...I can hardly carry a tune in a bucket so to speak. In fact when I was little, I would stand proud and belt out In The Pines...thankfully I was cute and clearly cuteness has an expiration date. Even without the lyrics, the rhythms and beats of some artists can send waves of emotions with just the first few bars that will eventually clear my soul and mind of that darkness of depression.
Hearing the sounds of certain songs will clear my mind enough to be able to have more clarity of my circumstances. It's hard to accept unpleasant circumstances when we are going through them. I believe it to be even hard to accept the fact that it is possible that even as unpleasant as it feels that this is actually God's will in our life at that very moment. By letting go the shadow of darkness, I can put my focus back on Jesus and not myself or my circumstances.
While I try to convince myself that music helps, it often goes into the list of hopeful remedies. Sometimes, I am completely powerless...nothing helps...then I remember that beautiful gift of Grace that I received when I accepted God into my heart...confessing to Him that I am helpless without Him and hopeful with Him. The true remedy to my darkness is trusting that God will send his light into my life and fully remove the shadow of darkness.
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