Music is fascinating.
All the different types of music. All the ways they are expressed and conveyed. All the factors involved at the professional level All the issues involved at the amateur level. When you explore it you cna really get hung up on some wonderful and not so wonderful human stories.
Music has certainly been a massive influence in my life. From childhood it played a part in my development. Whether it was the music I heard my Mum in particular play around the house and elsewhere, or the taste that my older sister would then show when she got to that age. Then there were the things that my friends were listening to that got me into following certain artists and bands. Thoroughly fascinating times.
One of the things that was not heavily promoted, however, was the thought of creating your own songs. Yet an underlying truth that emerged over the years was that everyone has a song. They have their song. I don’t mean that they have a song that they heard from someone else and loved a lot. I mean if you listen to their story, if you appreciate the rhythms and flows of who they are and how they’ve come to be who they are then you’ll hear their song. It’s not about whether that song is going to be a smash hit or if folks can get some studio time to record it for posterity. It’s not about being a musical genius. It’s not about having the voice of an angel. It’s about appreciating the song that exists within and giving it voice, letting it be expressed.
That does not have to be driving impulse in certain walks of life. When it comes to faith in Jesus and when He is your journey, I believe things are different. Very different. Whether it’s the psalmist encouraging the saints to join him in singing a new song to the Lord, or the encouragement in the Body of Christ to sing a variety of songs, in their heart to the Lord. Whatever it is the song plays a critical part in the faith and because of what it can do both for you and for others who listen to it, there’s a lot to be said about tapping into the song that you have in you and giving it air.
Give it air so that it can itself breathe and have life beyond your inner being. Give it air so that others can breathe it in and find strength, consolation, hope and motivation. When you let your song live out, others might get a scent of it and be able to add their harmonies to it and so it grows from just being your song to being our song. Our song of what we went through. Our song of what we endured. Our song of the grace on us to persevere. Our song of suffering. Our song of wonder. Our song of frustration. Our song of peace. Our song of battle. Our song of triumph. Our song of hope.
It doesn’t have to get recorded and distributed on a record label. Maybe only the small group of you will treasure that song for that season of your life. Maybe someone will remember it and get it recorded and others might be blessed by it. Whatever the case may be, for the sake of what it says about God, what it says about life and what it can do for us to grow and develop – don’t bury your song.
Sing your song and one day we might be able to celebrate by being able to sing our song.
(Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 