CHAMPIONS AND MOUNTAINS AND MOLEHILLS, OH MY!

The day is coming to a close. There's still a little daylight left. I just finished tweaking my resume. Every now and then I admit I get a little antsy about the uncertainty of my vocation. Sometimes there's lots to do, and places to go. Sometimes there's nothing to do, and for someone like me who always had a regular job, the notion of being idle isn't a welcomed one. 
What I don't want to do is engage in activity out of sheer boredom. Perhaps everything doesn't have to be meaningful or purposeful, but it is nice to know that whatever one does, it's in some way helpful.

The new resume is now saved. A possible job opportunity prompted me to look it over and dust it off. I was all ready to click "send" when I realized that there was one major qualification of the job with which I would not be able to comply. Still, my resume is cleaned up, the shrimp with garlic sauce was delicious, I had a necessary and productive conversation with a friend, and I found something I thought was lost, so it hasn't been a wasted day.

As I was sifting through e-mails I came across this passage of scripture which brought a smile to my face:
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

I suppose that "them" aren't necessarily people. "Them" can be negative thoughts, feelings of anxiety, doubts, disappointments, or momentary lapses of memory concerning what God has done in the past. In a matter of seconds, God reminded me, "I've got you. In me, you can do all things".

The same loving message resonated from the songs I downloaded this morning. The first was the empowering "Conqueror", by Darwin Hobbs. It's so motivating and happy! It's not syrupy and wimpy happy, but like a really efficient cheerleader who knows the team is going to win. It's the kind of song that would make you think you could actually sprout strong wings and fly. There's a nice war cry-like beginning, and the confident, crisp, uplifting lyrics don't leave much room for sadness or self-doubt. After the singers affirm their own ability in Christ, they declare the listener's ability, and you can't help but believe-- if you didn't already know it-- that "You're a champion".

The second song that has transcended entertainment and ministered to me today is entitled "Mountains and Molehills. It begins so sweetly with a few harmonious "ooh's" and the sound of an actual piano is enough to capture my attention. If one is impatient and doesn't listen, it could be misconstrued as a bit of a downer, but as PJ Morton passionately, yet plainly sings each verse about "this girl from a small town", your heart soon knows, that the story won't resolve in sympathy or sorrow. This song is having none of that. It's almost like the way Dr. Huxtable flipped the script and stunned the audience after they'd applauded Theo's touching lines in one of my favorite Cosby Show episodes. After hearing his son pour out his frustration and make a plea for his unconditional love, Dr. Huxtable told the complacent, educationally unmotivated Theo, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard!" PJ Morton does a similar thing. He beautifully tells a story in song, that has the potential to invoke pity, but lets NONE of us off the hook. Bad circumstances or not, he sings, "Stop the excuses. Don't believe the lies. Make up your mind, and you've got to try instead of making mountains out of molehills--when they're not even real. Need to go and follow your dreams--not as hard as it seems. You've got to try...You won't know unless you try..." 

Advice taken.

I've said this before. I have enjoyed music for as long as I can remember. Some songs, however have an immediate impact upon me. The only way I can describe them is healing and therapeutic. They speak to a place deep inside and I embrace and revisit them often. 
There's a very long list that includes, Richard Smallwood's "I Love The Lord", Quincy Jones' "What Good Is A Song", Stevie Wonder's "Joy Inside My Tears", Tramaine Hawkins' "Lord I Try", Googie and Tom Coppola's "Joyous Flame", Tim Foot's "Grace", Lizz Wright's "Salt", Maurette Brown Clark's "Why Not Give the Lord A Try", "Bill Cantos' "Love Wins", Donald Lawrence's "There Is A King In You", Puff Johnson's "Over and Over", Joe Sample and Lalah Hathaway's "When Your Life Was Low", Chaka Khan's "Love Has Fallen On Me", Vanessa Bell Armstrong's "Father I Stretch", Bob Schneider's "World Exploded Into Love", Ledisi's "It's Alright", Stuart Townend's "My God", and Seawind's "Follow Your Road". I've recently added worship leader, Alex Williams' moving, prayerful declaration in song, "Everybody Needs A Hero" and today, I've added "Champion" and "Mountains and Molehills".

It's been a peaceful, but wonderfully musical day. PJ Morton's "Let Go" is playing now. Daniel Moore was so right. "People still want good music". 
I know. Art is subjective and everyone has differing tastes, and music is always evolving...blah, blah, blah. I just know what my own ears, heart and mind respond to and what, on the other hand makes me want to take cover and buy stock in Tylenol. Good music doesn't bludgeon your senses to a slow and agonizing death, and material gain isn't the seed from which it originates. But then, that's just the two cents of someone who's creeping up on 50 very quickly.
By the way, Daniel's song "Say Something" (also on the list)is a perfect song for those like me whose primary love language is "Words of Affirmation". (Yes, I'm reading Dr. Gary Chapman's book.)
Silence can be positively deafening, but there's joy in knowing that even if no one else is saying a word, God is speaking all the time.