Playing My Song

Playing My Song

“Please throw me a bone, God,” I remember praying during a particularly tough season. “I just need a little something good to know you’re still with me and you haven’t temporarily forgotten my whereabouts.”

If that sounds ungrateful, let me assure you I am not. I know my life is rich with blessings. But sometimes I ache for an intimate touch, a sign, and a timely word of encouragement from my heavenly Father. I don’t doubt his existence or his love. But when the hard stuff of life sucker punches with unnerving aim and regularity, what’s a girl to do? And where else would she go?

Later that same week, driving to an early breakfast meeting, I synced my phone to the car’s stereo to distract from the slow crawl of commuter traffic. My tunes were on shuffle; I was only half listening to the random mix when a song written by a friend came on, which made me think of another of his songs—so perfect for my present season.

“Please, God,” I whispered out loud, “I need to hear that one. Could you play it for me now?”

As soon as the sound of the first song faded, the chords of the next one—the one I’d just asked for—began. Oh yes, it did. And my tears fell hard at the loving-kindness of my very near—and listening—God. You can call it a coincidence if you like. I know better. Someone good was playing my song with perfect timing. Just so I’d know I am loved. Just so I’d know he hears. And just because I’d asked.

One day we’ll look back

and see how this road

wound like a drunk man

stumbling home

how every whisper of joy

every bellow of pain

made us beautiful again.^a

Things may look messy now, but one day we will all be beautiful again. And we have a God who loves us enough to remind us this is so.

Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Colossians 3:16

^a Nathan Tasker, “Beautiful Again,” Home (Luxtone Records, 2015).