God’s Playlist

I recently spent time at my favorite place on the planet, the shores of Lake Michigan. The Great Lake reminds me of the beaches growing up in Florida. But even more, it holds such wonderful memories with my own family, camping with friends most every summer. This was my first time being in South Haven without them, another step into my new normal.

One morning I took my Bible and headphones and headed for the beach. It was early and I had the entire shoreline to myself. What a gift! I pulled up a playlist on my phone and picked a few of my favorite worship songs. I listened to the music and basked in the beauty around me even as my mind flooded back over the many memories. It came time to pick more songs when I had a thought, “what if I let God pick my playlist?” Worth a shot. So I hit shuffle and waited to see what would come. The next song hit me like a ton of bricks. It is one I often skip, but the words pierced my heart and spoke to struggles only He knew. Wow, had he really just picked that song for me? Well the next song was like an exclamation mark confirming that question. It is a song that He knew would get my attention. I played the song “Let Me Rediscover You” nearly every day after Dale’s death. In my pain and disappointment it was my prayer and plea. As the music ended I sat humbled and amazed that He really had met and spoken to me through my playlist. It was no random result of a Spotify shuffle.

As I now walk through life alone, there are many decisions that I make on my own. What will I do on on the weekend, what item to buy, what color to paint a room, what to have for dinner (forget cooking, I’ll just eat an apple :). These are the small details of life that Dale would have chimed in on. Yet it is in these very things that our Father is willing and wanting to engage with us. He cares about the small things. Luke 12:7 states that the very hairs on our head are numbered. You can’t get much smaller than a single hair!

So yes, I do believe that the God of the universe reached down and left his fingerprint on my playlist that day. He loves me and you that much. Give it a try! Include him in the small things. Give him the playlist of your life and sit back and listen to the music he provides.