Last week I mentioned music drawing my wife and I together. So I thought in honor of Valentine’s Day I would talk about how our love for music helped to kindle our love for each other. First, a brief history: Victoria and I both come from broken marriages. We went to the same church and were in the same care group while previously married. Yea, that’s still weird to think about… But God is forever in control of all things and works to redeem what has been broken. I watched Victoria walk through her divorce a couple years before mine, I contacted her to ask her some questions and yadi yadi yada… here we are two years later!!One of our first conversations was about the music we liked, and many, many conversations to follow. Our musical tastes are mirror images of each other. Great bands like U2, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, David Grey, Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, train, Dave Matthews and Jason Marz to name a few on the secular front. And as far as the Christian scene goes we talked about David Crowder, Jars of Clay, Newsboys, DC talk, Amy Grant (just kidding, now pay attention!). We shared with each other how music has always been the constant friend, shared memories triggered by certain groups or songs – more on that in a moment.
We were and are a musical match made in heaven. Not only did we have so much in common, but we also exposed each other to new/different artists we never knew about. I had the joy of introducing Victoria to some greats like Over The Rhine, The Choir, The Violet Burning and the Proclaimers. Through her I learned about Matt Wertz, Damien Rice, Seryn, Ben Harper and I gained a better appreciation for worship music.
Our first official date was going to see Over The Rhine at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur. OTR is one of our favorite bands and memory triggers. Another trigger band for us is The Choir. I have been a fan of theirs since the early 90’s – never had the opportunity to see them live. My wife, quick to observe and plan, bought us tickets to hang out with the band at a cook out at one of their homes in Nashville as a wedding present. I love that woman!! The day after our wedding we drove from Murphy, NC to Nashville (about 4 hours) to spend the afternoon with Derri, Steve, Dan, and Mark. It was really awesome!! Victoria has made a name for herself as giving the greatest gifts – this will always be in the running for first place.
I had the task of creating a playlist for our reception. Not as easy as you may think, my friends. I got it down to 72 songs totaling 5 hours of playtime. We only needed about 2 hours… It was really difficult for me to narrow it down because by that time we had so many songs that meant something to us as a couple. And I couldn’t sell the idea of a 5 hour reception….
For us Music is an escape from the mundane chores and trials of everyday life. The songs that really click, or have an impact on our lives, have a way of speaking to us and, often, for us. I am usually at a loss for words, so I often quote lyrics to speak for me – on a good day I’ll even sing them! But usually only to Victoria and my kids. Come on, a guy has to have some reservations….
Let me challenge you to remember those love songs and listen to them with your special Valentine! remember music is truly a gift from God for our enjoyment and for his glory.
Aaron
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