What To Do When The Music Stops Playing?
I have an IPod Shuffle that I like to use when I go running. Most of the time, instead of playing the list all the way through, I tend to skip forward or sometimes repeat a previous song. It all depends on what sort of mood I'm in. Today, I was running and about 9 minutes in, the battery dies. It makes this certain sound, indicating that it has completely utilized it's battery capacity. I went Noooooo! in my head because I enjoy listening to music in the mist of my workout. A part of me refuses to run without listening to my favorite artists induce my blood flow, but my remaining self refuses to stop, so I didn't. I kept running under the sun, hearing my breath synchronize with every step hitting the sidewalk pavement. I was actually enjoying it. I was telling myself that my workout was going to lack excitement due to me receiving nothing through my headphones, but I was wrong in a sense.
I'm the type of person willing to take chances. Many aren't fond of it due to having systematic personalities--wanting to make sure everything goes accordingly as planned. I believe that you don't really know the outcome of any decision until you make it. You have a sense of the consequence, good or bad, but the decisions are worth making, especially if your intentions are good. Even though the IPod indicated that it was completely dead, I wanted to try cutting it back on for certainty. I cut it back on in mid stride and what do you know, it started playing again! Whatever amount of life left on the device lasted for another 3 miles. I realized that when you're using an IPod Shuffle and you force the rotation of the music, it loses power. I have a tendency to overlook the fact that it is called a "Shuffle" for a reason because that is it's job--to shuffle music so that you don't have to.
I compared my Shuffle to God in a sense. There are moments where God is present in our lives, but then all of a sudden, it feels as if He's left us out in the sun to burn and sweat away our experiences. We then begin to panic, assuming that there's no reason to progress, but there is. Just because He may appear physically absent doesn't mean that He is spiritually. Just like the Shuffle, I accepted the fact that maybe it wasn't completely non-usable. The usage of the Shuffle may have fallen from my physical grasp, but it doesn't mean that it has completely stopped functioning. God's presence isn't always meant to be seen by the physical eye. It must be acknowledged, however, because He promised that He'll always be by our side; that His presence brings strength (Psalm 46:1). Me trying to shuffle songs upon my own discretion only limits the device's capability. That's what we do with God. We try to manipulate what He's doing--attempting to speed up the process or slow it down even. This applies to many things in life that we are not physically prepared to handle. It may appear overwhelming, quite scary even, but just because the music stops doesn't mean you have to stop running. God has surrounded you with all kinds of sound (cars passing by, your steps, the breathing of your lungs, and most importantly, the beat of your heart).
Allow God to be your IPod Shuffle--stuck to your side, ready to impact you with words to move you in a forward direction under the sun, where even though it burns, your movement isn't restricted. I must charge my Shuffle just like I must remind myself of His promises. I will need them when I'm running along in life, climbing and descending steep heels, feeling the tightening in my legs. I can't quit because my goal is always closer than my eyes will allow me to see. His words are the music to our ears, and even though we can't hear it at times, it doesn't mean He isn't speaking. Listen to what's around you and you will catch entire conversations from the most unlikely sources.
I'm the type of person willing to take chances. Many aren't fond of it due to having systematic personalities--wanting to make sure everything goes accordingly as planned. I believe that you don't really know the outcome of any decision until you make it. You have a sense of the consequence, good or bad, but the decisions are worth making, especially if your intentions are good. Even though the IPod indicated that it was completely dead, I wanted to try cutting it back on for certainty. I cut it back on in mid stride and what do you know, it started playing again! Whatever amount of life left on the device lasted for another 3 miles. I realized that when you're using an IPod Shuffle and you force the rotation of the music, it loses power. I have a tendency to overlook the fact that it is called a "Shuffle" for a reason because that is it's job--to shuffle music so that you don't have to.
I compared my Shuffle to God in a sense. There are moments where God is present in our lives, but then all of a sudden, it feels as if He's left us out in the sun to burn and sweat away our experiences. We then begin to panic, assuming that there's no reason to progress, but there is. Just because He may appear physically absent doesn't mean that He is spiritually. Just like the Shuffle, I accepted the fact that maybe it wasn't completely non-usable. The usage of the Shuffle may have fallen from my physical grasp, but it doesn't mean that it has completely stopped functioning. God's presence isn't always meant to be seen by the physical eye. It must be acknowledged, however, because He promised that He'll always be by our side; that His presence brings strength (Psalm 46:1). Me trying to shuffle songs upon my own discretion only limits the device's capability. That's what we do with God. We try to manipulate what He's doing--attempting to speed up the process or slow it down even. This applies to many things in life that we are not physically prepared to handle. It may appear overwhelming, quite scary even, but just because the music stops doesn't mean you have to stop running. God has surrounded you with all kinds of sound (cars passing by, your steps, the breathing of your lungs, and most importantly, the beat of your heart).
Allow God to be your IPod Shuffle--stuck to your side, ready to impact you with words to move you in a forward direction under the sun, where even though it burns, your movement isn't restricted. I must charge my Shuffle just like I must remind myself of His promises. I will need them when I'm running along in life, climbing and descending steep heels, feeling the tightening in my legs. I can't quit because my goal is always closer than my eyes will allow me to see. His words are the music to our ears, and even though we can't hear it at times, it doesn't mean He isn't speaking. Listen to what's around you and you will catch entire conversations from the most unlikely sources.
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