Our Weapon is a Melody

My buddy loves to have me play Gavin Degraw from Spotify whenever he is in the mood to listen to some music. If he is feeling out of sorts, feeling extra emotional, or wants something to listen to that will energize him while on the way to a game or a practice, music has been his go to.

Me too, buddy. Me too.

Many of my closest friends have asked how our kids are doing with this season. Hard as I try to shield them from the confusion and uncertainty and heartache I feel, they aren't blind.

It has been especially difficult for Sean, as he is my emotional child. Madi is a bit more mature and while she may not say much, she isn't afraid to let us know what she feels when she is asked.

The mother bear in me wants to protect them from any sort of adversity and pain that I am experiencing, but that is simply not realistic. A wise friend told the other day, after I shared my fears that I was screwing up my kids because of everything (and honestly, aren't we all screwing up our kids?), she reassured me in this:

"Adversity is good for them. Their faith will develop because of adversity."

And with that, I am drawn back to 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you."

Translation? This sucks, but we are not ruled by it and our faith will be developed and grow because of it, because of who we are and have in Jesus.

He is the author and perfecter of our faith.

There is a song that I have been listening to on repeat titled "Raise a Hallelujah" by Bethel Music.

It talks of singing in the middle of your personal circumstances. The middle of your very own storm. My favorite line in the whole song is this: My weapon is a melody.

My family's voice raised up in worship, despite all that is going on, will make the darkness flee. The enemy has no power over my family. I think that is one of the most beautiful images I can conjure up at this moment. This idea of my family singing praise to God and still pursuing him, even when we don't really understand what is going on. The transformation of our own hearts toward one another, even when many will call us justified for our feelings of anger, disappointment and fear. Only God can do that.

Only God can pierce the darkness with rays of hope.

Take that, Satan. Nice try.

The past few months, so many of my friends and family have experienced loss, heartache, devastation, illness and it is hard to lift our voices in worship when we feel hard pressed in our struggles.

But write these words on the walls of your home today:

"Our Weapon is a Melody."

Praying for you today.

Tiffany