If life weren't so IFfy.: Music and Faith

I've debated long and hard about writing this post.

People often joke that if you want to keep your friends you never talk about finances, politics or religion.

And this post is going to get religious.

This is just a glimpse into what makes me, me.

It's kind of a huge step to come out and say

"Hey, I'm a Christian….and yes, I love Jesus"

It's an even bigger step for someone who was raised in the Catholic faith where (typically) you showed your beliefs by adhering to man made rules and traditions, but kept your faith hush hush. Unless of course it was time for a baptism, 1st Holy Communion, or Confirmation in which case, everyone seemed to know it was time for that special sacrament.

I've delved into our faith journey and our infertility journey from time to time in this blog.

But on Friday night, I was overcome with this weird sense of all of the areas of my life coming together.

Follow me here.

I love music.

Not in the sense where I can read music or play music or teach music.

Not even in the sense where I want to listen to symphonies or classical music or jazz or easy listening.

Cause, honestly, while I appreciate it all, some of that music kinda makes me want to cut off my ears.

My music career began and ended with me 'playing the flag' in high school band.

And I have LOTS of talented musicians in my family.

I'm talking about specific songs, certain bands and live shows.

I love songs that cut right to my heart and seem to carry the most perfect message or sentiment for my mood.

I love the pulse, the rhythm, the crowd when you attend a live show.

And I have quite an eclectic repetoire of live shows under my belt.

I've seen KISS, Cher, Kenny Chesney (4 times), NKOTB, NSYNC, STYX, Journey, Shania Twain, Pat Benetar, Chicago, The All American Rejects, Rascall Flatts, Cindy Lauper, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Simple Plan, Three Doors Down, Breaking Benjamin, The Wallflowers, and too many others I can't even remember.

And most of those were pre-college graduation.

But there was this one genre of music that I was never exposed to.

As a young Catholic, all I knew were Catholic hymns.

I didn't even know generic hymns.

Old Rugged Cross? Be Thou My Vision?, etc. I learned those when I started working at a Methodist retirement home.

I'm not knocking those Catholic hymns…they still provide me with the most comfort.

I'm just saying I didn't know other 'Christian' music existed until we switched churches four years ago.

Now, suddenly, my world has expanded to include Christian music.

If you would have told me in high school that I would actively be seeking out live Christian concerts, I would have looked at you like you had two heads.

But, when life hands you something like infertility and you start (at first) grasping onto whatever branch you can to stay afloat…and you find music that provides you with an uplifting message, you take it and run with it.

You cling for dear life.

You search for more uplifting songs…for more artists.

And you keep freakin' clinging…because in those early days, the alternative is letting go and drowning.

And drowning was never an option.

Somewhere over the past four years, the music switched in my heart from being life-saving to life-giving.

My second sister and I have introduced our baby sister to our new church…and consequently, she's learned to love listening to some Christian music, too.

It dawned on me that many of the songs I cling so desperately to probably don't have as much meaning to her. She hasn't had to walk through a huge battle yet.

(Not that high school/boyfriends/friends/family isn't a battle in their own right)

But, I mean a life altering, game changing battle.

A battle that makes you re-evaluate everything in your life.

I pray that introducing her to this kind of music at this stage in her life will fill her with the strength, courage and hope she'll need to face whatever challenges come her way.

For my infertility journey, I am thankful. It has opened up a whole new world for me and provides a common ground for my youngest sister and I to bond over.

Whatever challenges you're facing, whatever difficult journey lies ahead of you, I hope you find some meaning in these videos. They're just a few of the songs I hold closest to my heart and I heard them all last Friday night at KingsFest.

(Side note, my videos of the live shows would not upload, so you get the actual youtube music video.)

Whether you hear or feel Jesus in them or not…I hope you can still find an uplifting message.

Maybe this is the first you've been exposed to this type of music.

Maybe you'll find yourself desperately clinging in a time of need in a place you never thought you'd be and music will speak the loudest to your heart like it did mine.

I pray some of these lyrics will stick with you and encourage you.

I challenge you to take the time to really listen to each song.