Of Music and the Soul

"Because I dearly love music."  That was a statement I made to my Grandmother over dinner tonight.  It was in response to a statement that she liked to listen to music on the record player sometimes.  I wanted her to know that if she wanted to listen to music, it was ok with me anytime.  After which I felt compelled to explain myself.  My explanation was plainly and suddenly, "Because I dearly love music."

It occurs to me the desperate importance of music.  It educates, inspires, challenges, breaks, heals, comforts, over joys, teaches, depresses, molds, and shapes.  It is truly the expression of our very souls, a revelation of the light and the dark within us.  There are many different genres of music and each has its very particular and very important place in not only society, but in something much bigger.

We have been a musical race since time began.  Several books in the Bible are even thought to have originally been songs sung to express a story.  How interesting it would be to hear Job sung, what nuances do we miss now that we are only able to read it?  Without music I begin to literally die inside.  It has to come out in one form or another.  Whether that is listening to it, playing something on my guitar or harmonica or baritone, or just singing or whistling.  

When everything else seems wrong or dark, I can change the whole world just by putting on a John Denver record, or turning on Canuckteach Crooners swing radio station.  I am moved and my very essence is changed.  When I am angry or sad a song can either purge these feelings from me, let me steep in them, or change them from darkness to light.  A sad song can make a sunny day feel cold.  Or it may make it feel even warmer due to the blessings that I feel.  In the midst of an angry group of people on a train several posts ago I explained how music calmed me and put me at peace and shut out the poison around me. 

I do not believe we always realize the important role music plays in our very existence.  Is it possible to exist without music?  Well, as for me, I believe I would exist, survive, but I would not live.  My soul would be poisoned and withered, and dead.

Anyway, the point being turn on the radio, cd player, or record player.  Put a tape in that you haven't listened to in a while.  Go for a walk and plug in your ipod and let the music wash over you, complete you, heal you.  

I can't help but think someone is going to read this (even though I'm pretty sure only one person reads this, hey hatewaslegend!) and say, "Jesus should heal you and complete your soul".  True and yet it is God who says to sing praises and hymns and songs of worship.  Music is from God and is therefore a part of God.  Think of it like this, when you listen to music, you are feeling a bit of God in a very real and direct manner.  Sometimes it is the lyrics, but mostly is it just the chords, the triads, the harmony, the rhythm, the rests, and the beat.  Allow God to bless us and how will that change the world?  Bring God's blessing to others and how will that change the world?  I know people have changed me by bringing me such a blessing (Thanks hatewaslegend!).  

Just some food for thought, "Because I dearly love music."

There is a lot that happens in our lives, and I'm told that all of these moments and events shape us and make us who we are.  They build character and teach us about ourselves or about the human race in general.  I have found this to be true, but it simply does not make living life any easier.  I find that I am given hope only to have it destroyed.  The repetition of this brings me low, to a point where I don't dare to hope.  Then I remind myself that, "These three remain:  faith, hope, and love..."  Yet I fear to hope only to be let down again.  Maybe if I don't hope for something, the thing I hope for will happen.  It's weird and confusing, but there it is.  There are some possibilities for my future, I have recently been given reason to hope, but I am scared to hope.  Scared because I don't want my hope or confidence or whatever to destroy my chances. Living where I am I have been given much more than I've had for the past two years.  I find that I grow very comfortable, but I am very aware that I need to start pulling my weight.  It'll happen, I grow impatient, but as my mother always says, "God is seldom early, but He is never late."  Ack, it is hard to hear sometimes when I am anxious, but true.  I also must remind myself that I cannot say, "God, here are my plans, now bless them."  Rather I must make a conscious effort to say, "God, your will be done in my life according to your great wisdom."  Very difficult for me to do regularly, and even harder when I do not see a clear path.  Everything will work out, no worries, I'm just unloading.  "We're all lost in the woods, even the Captain.  The only difference is he likes it there."  "No, the only difference is that's the only place I can see a clear path."