Music

Music-I love music. Not that I have ever had any musical talent but I have
always really enjoyed listening to it. I have Christian music playing all
day in my room. There are several purposes that it serves.

When I am busy on my computer, be it reading the Bible or doing some
writing, I don't usually pay much attention to my music. However, I still
like to have it playing. Both for background noise and, especially, to drown
out some of the noises in this place. There always bells ringing, people
talking and, it seems, banging of some kind.

However, it is when I am resting in bed in the afternoon that I value my
music the most. First of all, listening to music helps to pass the time for
me. I am always looking for something to help to pass the time. The
afternoons certainly go by faster if I am listening to something.

Because most of the music that I listen to is Christian, it helps to keep my
focus on God, where it should be. If I don't have music playing, my mind
keeps wandering to places that I don't want it to go and I have to make a
conscious effort to pull it back to where it should be more frequently. But,
if music is playing, it easier to set my mind, and keep it set,on what any
particular song is saying about God.

That is another reason that I like to listen to Christian music. To hear
what the songs have to say about God.  I really enjoy contemporary Christian
music, especially to praise to , but, if I want to listen to descriptions
of God or Jesus, I prefer the old hymns. I find that contemporary Christian
songs, though I love them, often repeat the same thing over and over. At
least more often than old hymns do.

There are afternoons, though, that I use my music to simply praise God. I
have my music on the computer, and usually on shuffle, so I get what I get.
Be it contemporary, old hymns, country or even the few classical and other
nice instrumental songs that I have. For the latter, I simply make up words
of praise to go with the tune. Generally, though, I just sing along, either in my mind or as best I can out loud,

Other afternoons, though, I desperately need some encouraging. Usually when
I feel discouraged, I turn to the Bible. But when I am in bed, I can't use
my computer., which is the only way I have to read the Bible. So I encourage myself by listening to the lyrics of Christian songs. A lot of my spells of discouragment come either in the middle of the night or early in the morning when I don't have music playing. Then, I often encourage myself by singing songs from my cds in my mind.

I sometimes get an inspiration for my blogs from my music. I will be listening to the words and hear a sentence or phrase that jumps out at me and I know it is what I will write about in my next  blog.

Finally, I think having Christian music playing all the time is a way of telling the nurses about Jesus without talking to them. I know that they are very busy. And they are being paid to work. However, I can't help but think that they are getting a bit of the gospel message just by having to listen to it in my room. Every so often, one of them will say how nice my music is so they must listen.

So, yes, I do really enjoy listening to music. But my music is more than just entertainment for me. It is helping me to cope with what is a really difficult situation.