I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Psalm 104:33 NIV
Music is my life. I sing to the Lord while washing up, vacuuming, and cooking, and even when I drive the car. I sometimes sing so loudly that I think, Thank You, God, that nobody can hear. And I sometimes think, If the sparrows on the roof had four paws, they would need at least two to shut their ears. But if I sing like that, it means I’m happy. When I sing, or try my flute again, or take my mouth organ to my lips, an inner happiness comes over me and fills me.
Music defines our lives even more than we realize. At the railway stations, at the supermarkets, in the restaurants, it is all well planned. Nobody says to us, “Eat this, do this, eat faster, take your time,” but we do it. Music manages this. We often do not even realize what it does to us.
Songs remain in our memory. Who has forgotten the songs from kindergarten? “Hush-a-by, don’t you cry.” Do you remember “Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star”? We remember songs from church and school. We still know them – maybe not all, but quite a few. There are also songs that are not so nice. Songs that mock, or songs from times of war. These too we cannot forget. If we wanted, we could sing them again right away. The words are still in our minds. David calmed Saul with music from the harp. However, my teenage daughter’s music makes me nervous. For my taste, it has too much bass. Music can stir people up, but it can also calm them down.
I help myself a lot if I sing praise songs again and again. That makes me happy. It brightens my day. I feel so much better. Often in the morning, I put a beautiful song in the CD player. I hear it, sing along with it, and it accompanies me through the day. Listening with earbuds is a wonderful thing for me as well.
I wish you a song, a song for the day, a song that carries you through the day whatever may come your way. I wish you a very personal song, a song that lifts you up. A song that does your heart good.
Breathe © 2013 by the General Conference Women’s Ministries Department