Music Makes a Difference

Have you ever had a gloomy day turn to sunshine just by hearing a song on the radio? Music is a mood changer. So many times I’ve had a rough day, then put on a CD of one of my favorite singers. By the end of the group of songs, I’d be belting out the lyrics, pouring my frustrations and sadness out at God’s feet. If you’ve done the same, you know that freeing feeling that follows. You’ll recognize that God uses music to change your attitude, your perception about the circumstances you’re in at that moment.

One song that’s helped me a lot lately is “Help Me Find It” by Sidewalk Prophets. Take a listen.

The part that really hit me this weekend is the part of the chorus that says, "If I need to be still, give me peace for the moment. Whatever Your will, whatever Your will, can You help me find it? Can You help me find it?” I'm in a season of being still, waiting patiently (and not so patiently, at times). That's hard on me, especially when I feel like the instructions I've been given haven't been updated in a while. My prayer is becoming, "If I need to be still, please give me peace for this moment."

When I set aside that song to work on my writing, I’ve put music to work in a different way. I’ve built soundtracks, using Windows Media Player, for the two main characters in the novel I’m working on. In doing so, I’m hoping the personal music loops will help me when the inevitable brain freeze called writer’s block decides to rear its ugly head. The songs I chose describe who the characters are, the circumstances they’re going through, or the spiritual journey they’ll be taking through the story. This is the first time I’ve used soundtracks to accompany my writing. Hopefully I’ll find it a helpful tool instead of a detrimental distraction.

Here’s a glimpse of the soundtracks I created for each character. For a couple of the songs, I found YouTube videos to share with you. Feel free to spend some time searching for the others. They're not that difficult to find on youtube.com, and I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Colton:

"Under Fire" by Abandon

"The Motions" by Matthew West

Caution: This video has scenes in a hospital. If you can't handle needles, you might want to look up a different video for this one.

"Blink" by Revive

"Don’t Give Up the Fight" by Revive

"What I Live For" by Luminate

"Breathe In Breathe Out" by The Afters

Abigail:

"Busted Heart" by For King and Country

"Let Go" by Abandon

"Worn" by Tenth Avenue North

"Where Life Will Never Die" by Tenth Avenue North

"Save a Place For Me" by Matthew West

"Broken Hallelujah" by The Afters

What songs have meant a lot to you lately? How has music changed things for you? Did a certain song touch your heart over the weekend?

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