Music has always played a big part in the Davis household.  I started singing to my girls before they were even born. Everything in our house has always, always been a song…..from bath time, to clean up time, to bedtime, and everything in between.  The girls’ daddy used to rap to them on a daily basis.  She won’t do it now and she won’t admit it but my oldest daughter loved to beatbox when she was little!  (a talent she did NOT get from me!)  She is also a music dictionary just like her daddy.  She can tell you the name of any song and sing all the words, no matter the genre.  The girls would always beg me to sing one more song to them every night at bedtime.

As the girls got older, music became a more permanent part of their lives.  They both started dancing and even when my youngest quit dancing, she started drumming.  They can’t shower without it, work out without it, clean without it, etc….  It is something we’ve always enjoyed together too.  If a song we all loved comes on, we simply stop what we are doing and sing it at the top of our lungs together.  There is just something about music that speaks to us.

The first song that the Lord put in my heart during all of this was “Just Be Held“ by the Casting Crowns.  Every single word of this song was what I was feeling.  When I find a song that speaks to me, I run it into the ground much to my girls’ dismay.  I quickly learned the words and would sing it day and night.  I played it softly at night by my head so that when I woke up every hour or so my mind wouldn’t wander to my problems but would instead sing the words to this song until I could go back to sleep.  (I had a lot of sleepless nights in the first couple of months)  This would be my song for a very long time.  In fact, my cousin Le’Cinda would come to love this song even more than I did.  I sent it to her and she has since thanked me several times for it, telling me there were days that this song was what held her together.  Many times when I needed encouragement from her she would send me a text that simply said, “Just Be Held”.

Then I ran “Chain Breaker“ by Zach Williams into the ground.  Learning all the words and singing it nonstop.  “Mended“ by Matthew West would be next followed by “Do It Again“(this one currently plays on those nights I have trouble sleeping).  My neighbor gave me the song, “Let Go“ by DeWayne Woods and this song spoke to me for days!  It truly helped me to Let Go, and Let God have control!!

Once I reached the point where I didn’t pray the whole 3 miles, I added music to my walk.  I would pray all the way to the front of my community and then praise and worship God all the way back through song.  These songs plus a few others are in a playlist titled “Me” and I listen to them and sing out loud on my walk back to my house.  This has had just as big an impact on my journey as talking to God has. 

There is release through Worship. 

It helped me to focus on who God is and it helped to create an atmosphere in which He could work.  It lifted my spirits and continues to do so.  If I am not praying in my car, then I am singing along to one of these songs.  I cannot get through my day without Worship anymore.  It begins my day and ends it.

If you are someone who has known me for a very long time, then you know that I walked around everywhere I went singing.  There was always a song in my heart.  In college, I was known as the singing waitress!  Someone important to me once said, he never asked me to sing because I was good at it but because it was in my heart to do so.  Singing has always brought me such joy and happiness.

One day at work recently someone heard me singing and complimented me on my voice.  A few days later someone else did the same saying that they never knew I could sing.  I have worked in the same building for over ten years so this made me stop and wonder how long had I been so unhappy that the people I spent the most time with didn’t know this important thing about me??  Believe me, they know it now!  In fact, another co-worker asked me why was I suddenly so happy all the time, singing and smiling…what was my secret?  I simply replied, “God.”  He has truly given me joy even in the middle of the storm.  I can never thank Him enough or praise Him enough.  I will continue to sing His praises all the day long!

So make your own playlist, crank up the music, and Praise Him because He is worthy to be praised!!  And if you are going through something right now, look to the Lord and “Just Be Held”.