THE VALUE OF MUSIC

THE VALUE OF MUSIC

Dr. Mark Swenson writes in his daily devotional, A MINUTE OF MARGIN: "I
suspect God knew life was going to be difficult, so He gave three gifts
to ease our way.

The first is NATURE. No matter where we turn our eyes, the nature we see
will have a lifting effect. And it is free. If we were required to pay
rent for sunsets, I doubt we'd be able to afford even five minutes.
Every sunsets unique. Nature is free, is equally available to every
person, and has a powerful healing effect on the human spirit.

The second is LAUGHTER. We can't explain what it is, where it comes
from, or why it works. Yet as a balm for frazzled nerves, laughter is
unique. Laughter is free, is equally available to every person, and has
a powerful effect on the human spirit.

The third is MUSIC. Again we can't explain what it is, where it comes
from, or why it works. One person warbles her vocal chords while another
blows on his pipe -- and somehow it soothes. Music is free, is equally
available to ever person, and has a powerful healing effect on the human
spirit.

Seventy-five percent of Americans use music to de-stress. In response to
the increasingly wearying conditions of everyday life, music therapists
are emerging all across the nation. Studies reveal that surgeons who can
choose their own music in the operating room have improved
cardiovascular parameters during stressful surgeries. If, on the other
hand, the music was chosen for them, there was no such benefit.

When God created music He somehow ordained that it would be able to
penetrate through multiple layers of our consciousness and go straight
to the depths of our spirit. It has been my own experience during times
of significant stress that music has helped me when nothing else could.
It sails right past all my defenses and snuggles up next to the pain.

Find the music that matches most precisely your need and play it over
and over, allowing it to massage your soul."

"The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice
over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He
will delight over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Good words for today.