Once again, I've been remiss in posting. Let me plead extreme busy-ness. Since my last post in May, I've gone through state track, state golf, Memorial Day, Fourth of July preview section, start of summer baseball and Vacation Bible School, in addition to my regularly scheduled programming.
Anyway, back to music.
When it comes to music for church and worship, I've always been a traditionalist. I like the old hymns (probably because that's what I grew up with) and the simpler, more classic arrangements of them. When I was in junior high and high school, a genre called contemporary Christian music swept the world. It sounded like the pop music of the day, only with Christian lyrics.
I didn't like it.
Every Christian artist was lumped into that category for me, which meant I essentially refused to listen to contemporary Christian music. I had a hard time reconciling the combination of rock (or bad, in some circles) music and Christian (or good) lyrics. That just didn't work for me. I resisted the introduction of any Christian music into my listening repertoire because of that.
As I grew up and my understanding matured, I maybe grew more tolerant. And that was good my freshman year of college. Second semester of that year was a difficult one for me. College was no longer new and different and exciting. I'd been through a semester already, so I knew what to expect. Classes were harder, my grades were lower, and studying was something I hadn't really done before. I really didn't want to be there, even though I felt it was necessary if I wanted to find a job after I was done. My friends were beginning to find boyfriends, and I wasn't finding one - not for lack of wishing and dreaming.
Anyway, I was struggling. Being a proud and stubborn person (and a little bit shy, believe it or not), I refused to share my thoughts with anyone. After all, I was a college freshman. I had this.
One afternoon, I was in the campus bookstore looking for something else (I don't even remember what) and, as is my wont, I went to browse the music. I found "Wings As Eagles" by Ron Hamilton, and I recognized a couple of titles as songs that I'd liked when I heard them. So I bought the tape. I took it back to my dorm room, where I was alone that afternoon, and I think I listened to it two or three times. Songs like "Wings As Eagles" and "God Makes No Mistakes" worked their way into my brain.
"God gives wings, God gives wings as eagles
"God gives wings to fly and strength to rise above
"God gives wings, God gives wings as eagles
"When my feet begin to stumble and my dreams begin to crumble
"I mount up on eagles' wings."
I could feel the music and the message of it soothing my soul. I realized that God knew what I was going through, and He'd made sure that recording was ready and waiting for me.
From that moment on, things were better.
I have since found other Christian artists whose music I like - not many, because I'm still a bit resistant to the whole "CCM" label (which probably doesn't exist any more). But I will be forever grateful to Ron Hamilton, whether he knows it or not, for "Wings As Eagles." Its songs still speak to me today. I find phrases floating through my head at different times, reminding me of God's provision and love for me.
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