Faith through music

Many people ask me how the heck I came to reverting back to Christianity and the honest truth is I’m not sure myself. Of course I can tell you that I had many things happen that pushed me to look elsewhere with my beliefs (and really challenged them as well), a few people who cared enough about me to really wait until I was ready to hear what it is they had to say instead of just giving up, and a few instances of semi-epiphany based on pure emotion. All that is true, of course, and it has all contributed to the change, but there’s something else that most people find more surprising than the rest. I absolutely and truly believe that music has helped me re-shape my faith.
Music has a way to get into my head and under my skin. I listen to a song and will ponder its message and lyrics for days afterwards, and I really feel that I express myself through music. I don’t know how to play any instrument, and I sing like a crow, but when I find a particular song that fits my mood, or that says in just the right words what I want people to understand, it’s like a release. I couldn’t live my life without song in its many variations, with and without lyrics, in a hundred different languages, and sharing a million different messages.

So way before my change, I was listening to different artists sing about God and Jesus, and liked their songs even though it ran against everything I believed in at the time. One in particular was played more often than not, and that was Carrie Underwood. Her voice was amazing, and the feeling she put into song was just what I was looking for. I didn’t much like country before I discovered Carrie, and I didn’t much love God before her either. She sort of introduced both in a very early way. Songs like angels brought me here, praying for time, and especially Jesus take the wheel were put in repeat mode on my Ipod and I listened, and felt. I admired her devotion, and a small part of me (which I would never have admitted to anyone) wished I could feel the same way about God, and wouldn’t it be great if I did let Jesus take the wheel and let go of everything that was screwing me over.

So Carrie paved the way for the Dixie Chicks, then Brad Paisley (When I get where I’m going is particularly meaningful to me), then Reba, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, and so on. So what if I dream of the quaint country life?

In any case, Carrie Underwood and country music helped save my soul. I wonder if that’s the case for anyone else out there...