Super Powers

I have a super power. It’s true. I do. It’s a little known fact about me, because, well, I don’t like to brag. What’s my super power? I have super human hearing.

I can hear the faintest whisper from across the room. I can hear the slightest noise in the distance.

As with any super power it can be quite helpful, but more frequently, it’s just plain old annoying. Like when I go to a party or am in a crowd of people – I can hear every conversation around me. So, if you are talking to me in a crowd, and I look like I’m not listening, chances are, I’m not, because I can hear the 900 other conversations in the background.

I can also hear repetitive noises. For instance, that man who is turning his pen in the meeting a million times – I can hear it squeak and it drives me nuts. If I’m watching TV with you, and I ask you to turn up the volume, it’s not because I can’t hear it, it’s because I can’t drown out the other sounds around me.

A slightly more well-known fact, albeit not quite as interesting, is that I work in a small gray cubicle in the midst of a hundred more cubicles. For those of you other cube dwellers, you might see where my problem lies.

I can hear everything. I can hear the conversation two cubes back. I can hear the phone call that I’m trying desperately not to hear. I can hear someone laugh across the room. Oh, and don’t think that because you whisper that means I can’t hear you because that just makes it worse.

As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” So, I try desperately to use my powers for good and not evil. I try everything in my power to drown out my surroundings because, well, I don’t want to eaves-drop or be distracted from my incredibly important work. So, most of the time, you will find me at my desk donning a set of ear buds (or in the case of missing ear buds – I’ll pull out the retro clam shell headphones as seen in the above photo) listening to music.

Ironically, most of the time, I’m not really listening to the music; it’s just background noise to distract me from the other background noise. But sometimes, out of nowhere, a song will catch my attention and I’ll start to listen to the words.

In these moments, I become truly impressed by the ability of songwriters. It amazes me how someone can not only come up with eloquent words, but that they can come up with eloquent words that rhyme and touch your soul. Amazing.

And their courage? Their courage astounds me! Truly great songwriters write about their vulnerabilities and their failures. They expose a bit of themselves in each song. I’m telling you, it’s nothing short of courageous, and I admire their transparency.

Most of the time, when I listen to music I don’t really hear what the singer is saying. The musical arrangement distracts me from the lyrics. I might give the impression that I’m listening to it. My feet might tap to the beat, or I might hum the tune because it’s familiar, but am I really listening?

What about you? Do you ever stop and LISTEN to the words?

With all that being said (and I know it was a lot), I am instituting Music Mondays. Each week (hopefully) I will strive to send you the lyrics to one song that touched my heart that week. I’ll give you the link to a recording of the song if I can find one, but before you listen to it put to music, I challenge you to read the words the artist wrote, because those are the words from their hearts.

Thursday morning, I downloaded an album by Jill Phillips. Up until then, I did not own a Jill Phillips CD, but had been meaning to purchase one. The song below caught my attention on Saturday as I was driving to meet Robyn for a morning trail run. I had prayed just a few minutes before that God would be so close that I could feel His breath on my neck. These are the words Jill Phillips sang to me that morning.  You can check out her website at www.jillphillips.com.

Moving On
Jill Phillips

What we want is a tidy picture
Neat and easy to read
What we get is a trust walk
Finding out what we really believe
Don’t you be surprised now when it doesn’t lead you
To a clearer place
To some great resolve
You don’t have to wonder if he’s still beside you
He’s as close as breath
You just have to walk

I have seen and I have heard that
This is just the way He works
And I’ll take this chance to remind me that
Its His grace that keeps me moving
Moving on

What I want is for Him to tell me
I won’t always feel this pain
What I get is a constant love
When nothing else stays the same
I won’t be surprised now when it doesn’t lead me
To a clearer place or to some great resolve
I don’t have to wonder if He’s still beside me
He’s as close as breath
And I just have to walk

I have seen and I have heard
That this is just the way He works
And I’ll take this chance to remind me that
Its His grace that keeps me moving

Moving on and on as far as he will take me
When I walk with Him I know

This is just the way he works
And I’ll take this chance to remind me that
Its His grace that keeps me moving
I have seen and I have heard that
This is just the way He works
And I’ll take this chance to remind me that
Its His grace that keeps me moving
Moving on

So, what do you think?  Are you excited about Music Mondays?