Car Radio

I’ve always been keenly aware of the impact that music has on us. Songs can help us connect to our emotions in times when we don’t have the awareness to verbalize where we are at. Knowing this as we trained to become foster parents I knew that the music we played could be a tool to help ground our days. From there I created loads of playlist from calming music to dance party jams.

Everyday as we drove our foster kid to school we played “Good Day” by Forest Frank. Quickly this became a song that we used to remind all of us that any day can transform into a good day with a dance party and a dash of gratitude. Brushing teeth is always made better while dancing to “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

One day as we were driving, I don’t even remember where we were driving to, but I put on our Happy Christian playlist. Honestly it was only because it happened to be the only one downloaded and we live in the mountains where service is sometimes unreliable. Songs we had listened to before, played again, only this time the little voice in the back seat started to sing along. To hear a child sing “my freedom written in your nail scared hands, where there was sin and shame the cross now stands, the grave no longer tells me who I am” brings buckets of tears to my eyes.

The awareness that this sweet boy knows not the depth of how this news transforms everything, yet the truth of these words are now in his mind. I cried, prayed, and sang along. We are surrounded by the truth before we come to know it to be true. Declaring that truth is powerful.

Unsure of what his future holds I think of how these truths may play in his mind the next time he feels shameful, lonely, or scared. I pray that he learns and knows his worth. That he knows that his smile makes everyone around him feel joy. That he sees that even when he messes up, he is still worthy and deeply loved. When he feels he can’t do something he remembers that he is able to give it his best shot and he can always ask for help. That as the hard days come he remembers that he is brave and he can do the hard things.

Music has an endless impact on each of us. There is power in speaking words full of truth even in times when we don’t believe the truth.