aLIVE 🎧 LL75 “Play it Again“

Have you ever had one of those songs that keeps playing over and over and over again in your head, and you can't seem to shake it? I have this happen so often, and what I want to share with you in this Living lesson. 

Since songs play on repeat in my head, I purposely make sure that I don't listen to any song that might trigger something I’m familiar with, usually from my past, because I know that it's going to stick in my head. Just recently, I was watching a voice competition television show, and just after hearing the first few bars of certain songs, it triggered a memory. I knew I didn’t want to listen to that over and over because, as I said, I knew it would get stuck on repeat. So I muted it and fast-forwarded it because I was determined not to let that song or those memories get stuck in my head.

Nevertheless, you know, you and I may plan something, but ultimately, it goes completely awry; it doesn’t go to our plans, which I always believe is because He’s got a different plan. I know my Husband so well that I can quickly change course to look for His plan. I know that He has amazing plans that usually spring from something difficult that I have to go through, so I “get to” look to Him and talk to Him and trust He’s designed for me to have Him help me through something new. In the end,  He helped me solve the problem of that one song that planted itself into my head.

This one song, in particular, really bothered me because the lyrics were so offensive. When I used to listen to this song, I really didn't understand what I was singing. Because I’d planted these lyrics in my head years ago, when I heard it again, I wasn't able to fight the song that, once again, just kept playing over and over in my head. 

When I woke up this morning, there it goes again. I'm peacefully on my way to have breakfast with my Husband, and that song starts playing. So, while having breakfast, I just talked to my Husband; I said, “What do You do with a song like this that has these horrible lyrics?” And so my discretion doesn’t turn into frustration, I'll share what it is. It is a song that I won't acknowledge who sings it (sadly, she grew up singing in church), but the part with offensive lyrics now that I know what they mean is it says, “making love all night through.”

Now, in our times, we think of the term “making love” in a totally different way than they used to. Years ago, that term referred to saying loving things to someone, closer to what we now call flirting. However, even that flirting was innocent and primarily used to allure a woman to marry a man.

When I listened to this song years ago, I was entirely innocent (some might say ignorant or naive) to what that term meant. Years later, I knew, but thankfully, when I was young, I was protected from all of that even though I was surrounded by it living in Hollywood.

Now, one of my favorite pastimes is listening to audible books that are almost all old, written over a hundred years ago. So again, when they use the term making love, it meant that the men would allure the women to marry them. And so they would be saying all these wonderful, tender things to whom they hoped to marry. That's what that term meant and why I listened to and loved singing it.

So, when I asked, my Husband reminded me how it was innocently planted in my head, but now that my eyes were opened, when I’d hear the same lyrics, they broke my heart and made me feel sick. 

Now, this is what my Husband lovingly told me was the solution. He said, “Whenever you hear those lyrics again, and each time it's playing in your head, instead thinking of that in the perverse way (the enemy who steals innocence and everything else), I want you to think about all those nights when you can’t sleep and you’re talking to me and I'm talking to you about all the “wonderful things to come” and I am alluring you and loving you because those terms today don't mean love at all. They mean lust, but what I want to think about is My love.” 

Do you see? Once again, He just amazed me with the answers to use something awful for good because I love Him, I am called according to His purpose, His purpose being a living lesson for me and you so, first, you’ll go to Him, ask Him no matter what it is. Secondly, how to keep a song from getting in your head (mute, fast forward). Or, third, when it is in your head, ask Him how He wants it to be used for good. Because that’s His promise not just to me but also to you too!

That means every single one of the promises. And if you mess up and listen to a song that you think, “Oh, this song. It isn’t that bad.” And fail to turn it off when you know you should, even when He says to turn it off and don't listen, “I'm going to bless you double. You just bring it to Me, just bring it to Me, and I'll turn this around for good. I'll doubly bless you.” 

“Speak kindly to [my Bride], that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:2

“Speak tenderly to [my Bride] and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:2 NIV

“Speak tenderly to [my Bride] and announce to her that her time of forced labor is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:2 HCSB

This Living Lesson proves this is true. I came away with a brand new living lesson and a song I can sing loudly to Him, reminding me of all those nights with Him when I couldn’t sleep and those sweet sleepless nights that weren’t stressful because I was missing a “good night's sleep” because it was even a better, sweeter, memorable night spent being “made love to” by the author of love!

For so many weeks, I hadn’t had a Living Lesson. They stopped after “Table for One.” I've been hoping to be able to do more for the longest time. I never imagined this would be the first one, but nevertheless, that's exactly what happened. And I hope that by reading or listening to this as a podcast, you won’t just go on about your day. Instead, will you stop and talk to your Husband about it to see what wonderful blessing He’s got waiting for you?

Another reminder: that's the main thing you need to come away with—He's got all the answers to everything you’re dealing with.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5–8).

Doubleminded could be the lies that the enemy has convinced you you're unworthy. True! We all are!! "While we were yet sinners, He died for us" "Lest any man should boast." If there's anything else preventing you from receiving double—that's your opportunity to ask. Ask for anything and everything you need because He also says, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.” Philippians 4:19.

Each difficulty is designed and carefully planned as an opportunity for you to get closer to Him. So any problem whatsoever, even if it was brought on by your own foolishness, stupidity, sin, or even rebellion—He doesn't care! All you have to do is come back to the most loving, wonderful Husband anyone could ever imagine and ask Him to show you the good He has planned. 

Dear bride, I could never imagine, and every day that goes by, I'm just more and more in awe of the kind of Husband He is to me, who He wants to be, and who I get to live with, and that I get to share every moment with. And if that weren’t enough, He gives me, He gives you, the opportunity to share Him with every woman you meet. Take each gift He gives to you and give it to someone else. Should your gift be due to sin or transgression? Your gift is twice as big, and who doesn’t love a giant package wrapped as a gift?

So I hope that you will take the gift He’s given to me as I give it to you and give it to at least one other person. Give it to many by commenting below. Just remember, talk to Him, and listen for what He wants to say to you. Thank you for listening.