My music tastes have changed. I used to be the one playing loud music as I pulled up in my car, speakers blaring. Some sort of rock and roll, pop, or dance music, never country or metal (except for Quiet Riot, they were fun!).
As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that I still prefer to have music going, but not the loud stuff. I don’t like saying “What?” all the time when someone tries to talk over the music, and the beat tends to get me closer to that anger trigger point I’m trying to avoid, so I’ve turned the music down and changed what I listen to.
But when I'm talking with someone I still like to have background instrumental music going. Less distracting than the loud music yet it still helps me not hear them breathing and making other bodily noises.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that habitual actions bring me peace. You could call them “rituals” if you want to use that word, though I tend to shy away from that characterization of what I do.
Action stacks is something one of my online gurus used to talk about in his posts. He encouraged people to make checklists and use them even if you “knew’ how to do something so that you would hopefully not waste time solving the same problems over and over and become more successful.
I find comfort in the known steps. Almost like grooves in my head smoothed out over time as I repeat those steps again and again. Less like a record player, more like a path through the woods.
I wonder how much peace Jesus had as a baby? If he was fully God and fully man did he have to learn to control the tendency to just make things like milk and food?
I imagine he was comforted by the repeated love and care his family gave him.
I pray that you find peace during this Advent season.
Bonus material:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - The Piano Guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc
Bible Project video on Peace
