Monday, January 19, 2009

Music

Lately I have been thinking a great deal about music. Some of my earliest memories involve music. I have always surrounded myself with a varied assortment of music and I usually have some music playing in the background. When I remember major events of my life, I usually have a song that is connected with that memory. I have also been gifted with the ability to memorize and retain the lyrics to songs very quickly. So music has always been a significant part of my life.

This Christmas a friend of mine received a turntable that plugs into his computer and converts old albums into digital recordings. One of the first albums he converted was Aurora by Gene Klosner and Brad Colerick. Gene is a friend of ours and when I was in high school this was one of my favorite albums - I listened to it over and over (as you do with favorite albums). When I received a digital copy of my old album, I was interested in rehearing the old songs that were some of my favorites. As I listened to the old songs with "new ears" and many more years of life behind me, I found it interesting that my favorite songs all contained themes that I find each day in the psalms.

The song Aurora speaks of the appreciation of God's creation, Just Because speaks of unconditional love, Secret Places speaks of finding those quiet silent places in life and the peace those places bring and Paradise Beware is pure shared gratitude . Listening to these songs got me reflecting back on the songs that have touched my heart throughout my life. As I started listing my favorite songs over the years, I was surprised to see just how many of them held those familiar theme that I find each day in the psalms we pray.

I found it amusing that in looking back, God had been planting the seeds of love for the psalms in my heart from the youngest age. Over and over the songs that had meant the most to me were songs that speak parallel messages to the psalms. That love of the psalms seems to have been there from the beginning it just took me a while to make the connection and find my way to them. I am glad that God was so patient! May the sounds of music and the psalms continue to draw us all closer to God.