"Do you ever turn that music OFF?!" That's what a friend asked me last night and I laughed as I always do. Sometimes, I explain how music is my therapy. Sometimes, I just laugh and keep it moving.
I discovered music to be very therapeutic for my Bipolar symptoms in 1999. Of course, spiritual and inspirational, gospels, but I do revert to my favorite R&B's, etc.
I also discovered that in most of the music I choose or favor that is not traditional spiritutal or gospel, I can find God in the lyrics. I always say that because our gospel roots lie in all forms of music and because of the industry demands, artists will find a way to put God in those funky lyrics. That keeps me too wise not to praise Him when I listen to my music on dark days and bright days. I love music.
Quincy Jones is noted for saying that if you want to learn black history, listen to our music. I agree 100 percent.
It was spiritual music that pulled me through a lot of darkness. That was God's way of speaking to me. That was how I discovered the Psalmist David when I first began studying the bible. Remember, I could not concentrate to read or write in my early diagnosis days. The Psalms became therapeutic for me to study prayer. I learned how to pray through song from the Psalms. In the middle of the dark, scary nights of fighting demons, I held on to the lyrics by David.
Psalm 100 is my all-time favorite.
Psalm music soothes
the mood,
In my private room
For thoughts gathered
throughout the day,
My ‘lone time to pray!
Ps. 100
Copyright© 2002 Agnes B. Levine
Now, I can take an R&B lyric and go deep spiritually. Take for instance the lyrics: "see the soldiers marching across the sky, trying to get home" found in Freda Payne's song, "Bring the Boys Home." (Yesterday's blog). Sidebar: I play music 24-7 even if I turn on the tv which I rarely do. It plays while I'm sleeping, etc., but I turnit off ONLY when I leave my house. My neighbors know when I am not home when my music stops playing. When the muse hits me, I will play a song over and over and over and over until she passes by.
So, I went deep into spirit over those lyrics by Freda Payne. Think about it, 'soldiers are marching across the sky, trying to get home.' Whoa. Imagine if you will soldiers marching across the sky. What home are they trying to get to? If they are marching, it has to be in a metaphorical sense. Would they then be trying to get home metaphorically. Spiritually? It is impossible for them to accomplish this physically because we cannot physically march across the sky.
So, then I began thinking about how we celebrate the "Homegoing" services of those dearly departed loved ones. They are going "Home" to God, we pray. They are hopefully going to that ultimate mansion in the sky. Home.
So, the spirit quickened when I thought about that possibility. It asked me to stay in prayer for the soldiers marching across the sky. It asked me to pray for them to get across the River Jordan. I am obedient. That takes my focus off of darkness because prayer uplifts us in many ways. I began praising God for His army of soldiers who pray for us from heaven. His soldiers who guard me and watch over me. I'm on the battlefield for the Lord, too. Amen? Amen!
I want to add that whenever I had to be hospitalized, my daughter would bring me a radio or cd player. I can hear spiritual lyrics even when I am in the midst of an episode. That is my therapy. It keeps me spiritually well and focused on many, many dark days. If you want to understand this better, listen to spirituals when you are depressed about something. Our ancestors figured this out and sent us some powerful lyrics.
And so I praise Him for music...
Agnes ~ Too Wise Not To Praise Him!
Author of "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 0975461206 Winter Release Pending -
www.myspace.com/coolingwellwater
Posted By: agnes levine
Sunday, September 14th 2008 at 2:14PM
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