Change the Record
Now, if you don't know this about me, I am a HUGE music fan. You name any genre, and I probably have at least one song that I absolutely love from it (well, almost any genre). Since I wasn't a super outdoorsy kid, but also didn't love television, I always had the radio. And I mean, turn the dial until I get to the exact spot to pick up my favorite station radio; this was a little before digital tuners. For some of y'all, that was a super throwback; for others, it brings absolutely no nostalgia (lol). But I digress.
But the thing about searching for my favorite station, is that I was able to sample everything else along the way. I picked up a song here and a song there that I loved and kept going. So, I have a broad taste in music, I just don't always explore it. And if you've ever done a long road trip with me (with me in charge of the music), you know that I like what I like and I'm okay to listen to it on repeat...over and over again (don't judge me).
A few of my friends recently informed me that I'm probably one of the only people still listening to music on Pandora (if you don't know what that is, you've probably proved their point) and I'm totally okay with this! The reason I hang on is because Pandora has my playlist down to a science. All my favorite songs on a constant rotation and I don't have to figure out if I like anything new (my woman person is about 82 years old, so it makes sense).
One of my favorite stations is my Melanie Fiona mix. I probably listen to it at least a few times a week. And she has this song named "Change the Record" that I sing at the top of my lungs, like my neighbors signed up to hear me do all that. But aside from my poor apartment etiquette because of my impromptu karaoke, there are a group of lyrics in that song that started to stand out to me recently.
"If you can do better, then do better...
But it's time to change the record...
The faster I let it go,
The faster you will hear me happy on the radio..."
It really stuck with me that sometimes we play the same record (song) over and over again, not because we like it but because it's familiar. We know when the beat is going to drop, we know when the chords are going to change, and we know the exact mood the melody creates for us. But there's something about familiarity that's comforting.
Healthy, maybe not. But certainly comforting.
For many of us that record we have on repeat is our cycle in relationships, our attitudes in certain situations, or our discipline (or lack thereof) when we we're trying to move to another level. But we're familiar with how this process works. We know exactly how this relationship will go, because we've done it.
We know exactly where this attitude will land us, because we've done it.
We know exactly where no discipline leaves us, because we've done that too.
But do we really want to listen to the saaaaaaaame song on repeat for life?! Nah, we don't!
So, how do you want to change your record today? (Yes today, don't wait until tomorrow)
And that's not just me and Melanie talking, God totally beat us to the point a little while ago (give or take a couple thousand years)!
“Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.”
Proverbs 6:4 NLT
“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,”
Philippians 3:13 NLT
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