A Musical Walk Down Memory Lane

I have always been fascinated by the power of scents, sights, & sounds to bring memories and emotions flooding back into one's mind, heart, & soul. To be suddenly transported to another place in time, becoming younger, feeling heartbreaking sorrow or delirious joy all over again, just astounds me at the pivotal role that our senses play in our life experiences.

As I was organizing my iTunes today with music that spans the past 3 decades of my life, I felt myself raptured in and out of moments over the years.

In the blink of the eye, I am again a young slip of a girl, dreaming of love & romance, entering other worlds through books of adventure, romance, and lessons learned. The drama and the passion of Anne sparked such a drive in me to conquer the world with my own sensitive soul, strong heart, and tenacious attitude.

Then in a whirlwind, college days filled with hours of laborious studying, incredible personal growth, and intense, raw emotions consumed my being. As we learned more about Jesus, how He loved us, and where the love was taking us in the world, my roommate and I exhausted one song per season, playing it on repeat even when we were not in the room. Third Day's, Love Song, was one such song, making the sounds floating from our room both annoying with their repetitive beats and welcoming with the spirit of Jesus soaked into the very walls.

And on and on, it goes.

We Speak To Nations and You Said remind me of my heart for the nations.

Salvation is Here moves me to the rhythms of the music at dance practice with my youth girls.

I experience a great awakening in my memories of walking through pain & heart break to the other side as Praise You In This Storm resounds through my speakers.

Through Take It All, my heart and body bounce to the beat with dozens of young people during our time as youth pastors.

I see the women being transformed, chains broken, lives set free at Encounter weekends as Worthy Is the Lamb plays.

A smile on my lips and laughter in my mouth are impossible to hide as I remember my children at the church in Africa singing My Number One.

Redemption & mercy, love & laughter saturate my senses through Saved by Grace & Say So as I recall singing, dancing, & leading worship with the people we were blessed to minister to in Johannesburg.

And songs from the past even now speak new meaning to my future....

When I was 20, in my junior year at Oral Roberts University, I became very sick and couldn't go to classes for almost a week. I hate being sick, but even more than that, I despise how sickness strikes you down with the inability to do what you want and need to do. Plus, no matter how old or mature you think you are, one always wants their "mommy" when they are sick. Luckily, I had some amazing friends, who bought & brought me food, movies, medicine, etc, and others who came to sit with and/or entertain me.

Joy & Grace were two such girls, sisters in fact, who put on a human video for me of The Prince of Egypt's When You Believe. I could never do justice in mere words to the hilarity that encompassed their performance, but needless to say, their intended one time performance was repeated over and over throughout that year.

As I listened to the song today and chuckled over the memory of their antics, I found myself paralyzed with the magnitude of the meaning for me now in these words.

"There can be miracles WHEN you believe...."

Hmmm....I like that.

I like that.

A.

Lot.

Thanks for going down memory lane with me.... :) and PLEASE check out the lyrics below...there is more meaning in their words for me today than ever before....

Maybe for you too!

What are some songs that bring back memories for you?

What memories are attached to that song?

"Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood

Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove(s) in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

They don't (always happen) when you ask
(Oh)
And it's easy to give in to your fears
(Oh...Ohhhh)
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way straight throught the rain
(A small but )still resilient voice
Says (hope is very near)
(Ohhh)

There can be miracles
(Miracles)
When you believe
(Lord, when you believe)
Though hope is frail
(Though hope is frail)
It's hard to kill
(Hard to kill, Ohhh)
Who knows what miracles,you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will(somehow,somehow, somehow)
somehow you will
You will when you believe

You will when you
You will when you believe
Just believe...in your heart
Just believe
You will when you believe~