Friday, October 17, 2008

Brad Paisley and Josh Turner Marriage Tune-up



    Coincidental or maybe not to the Marriage Tune Up weekend I downloaded some mp3 files that caused me to think about what is wrong with folks struggling marriages and what is right with thriving ones. Now you may not care for Country music or maybe you do but there are some substantive but simple songs out there being published. That was an understatement. Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood sing together on Oh Love:
'You're the simplest truth and you're the biggest mystery.'
'Deep as the life from God's own breath. Endless even after death.'
The lyrics go on and are worth listening to. Thought provoking, appreciating the timeless qualities of love.

     Some songs tell stories about us that are worth listening to. Paisley again telling a story in Waitin' on a Woman. Reminds us of what and why and how we fell in love. Uses humor and testimony from an older man to place things in perspective. Taking the long view the old story teller says he has read statistics that man is always the first to go and no wonder. It takes the woman time to get ready. Old love persists to death with the old story teller speculating that he'll just get to the other side and find a bench, if they have one, to sit on and wait. When was the last time we showed patience to our mates? is a question a struggling man needs to ask himself.

     Mr. Paisley then sings another song, on a different album, in harmony this time with Dolly Parton called When I Get Where I'm Going. The listener is transported into what can be assumed as husband and wife characters; hearts in synchrony anticipating the mysteries of Heaven by reflecting on the hardships of life. Shedding the weight of sins and struggles carried during the years of life. The two dream of seeing the face of God and stroking the mane of "The Lion of Judah" and to love and have no fear and to hear the Hallelujah. The song has more substantive healing power than most of the hymns we sing in church.

     Now Josh Turner is another Country artist that also turns out substantive songs. In Everything is Fine the listener is shown an example of someone who is appreciating the simple basics of life. How God has blessed him in ways that would seem silly to most. A character that prays to God and instead of asking for something makes a point to thank Him for his life. Husbands really need to turn of the TV or the PC and take a walk and just ponder what God has done for him lately. It tends to shed away all those disappointments the world brings on and maybe even the disappointments a wife might bring on. Christ got alone with his heavenly father and away from the world for refreshment. Men need to do this too...and not be intoxicated at the same time with anything liquid or otherwise.

     King Solomon said there is a time for every season. A time for holding and a time to refrain from holding. Another song, called The Longer the Waiting by Josh Turner, talks about anticipation of a reunion. In that process the fact of knowing a separation had to occur but in reunion there will be treasures and rare things. The man promises that he will give up his second love to be united with his first love forever. In this case his second love is his work and service to country but any thinking person can get a lesson from this song. It is a metaphor that demands patience from the woman and promise keeping from the man for sweet reward.

     Either I'm over simplyfying the problems people have in relationships or I find help in the strangest places. Not saying that all troubled marriages are the failing of the man but from my experience a lot can be said for just keeping your antennae up for help for your heart. Here I downloaded some mp3 songs just because I liked the first 15 seconds of the songs but in listening more deeply just to 7 songs strengthened my life and my marriage. Another piece of advice I would give to struggling couples is to attend, by yourself, the marriage ceremony of someone you don't know. Times when I've been on duty when a marriage ceremony was performed here I'd sit by myself out of sight in a balcony area occasionally and watch and listen and remember. Respect the aged and talk to them. That's free. Encouragement can come from the darndest places and not cost any more than 7 dollars.

May God bless your Marriage!



3 comments:

Hans Georg Lundahl said...

Something quite unrelated, just because this is your last post:

Mzungu, meet Dada Mzungu!

Though she writes in Swedish I think her English is fluent. Most talented Swedish students are at least fluent in written English.

DaD said...

Nice to meet you. My daughter was a missionary to Uganda last summer and she brought me back a souvinir T-shirt that said "Mzungu". This is a word in the Ugandan vocabulary that means "wandering white person". This is so funny to me that I took it as my blog handle. When her and her crew would show up to play with the kids and read stories there would be excited little shouts around the orphanages "Mzungu! mzungu!"

Hans Georg Lundahl said...

Dada Mzungu means sister white person. She was called that when in missionary school.