Words to Grow On
Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. PSALM 95:1
Music expresses the rhythm and rhyme of [our] hearts. GARY CHAPMAN
Set the Scene
Whether you’re a hard-core geek with thousands of albums, CDs, and downloads in your collection (ahem) or someone who just enjoys singing along to the radio, you’ve been affected by music to some degree. Music is one of God’s greatest gifts. Music is the soundtrack of life. It defines eras and marks significant events-both cultural and personal.
It’s only natural, then, that music should play a role in your relationship. Do you remember the song that was playing the first time you saw each other? Do you remember the first time your significant other turned up the radio and said, “I love this song”? Are there certain song lyrics that remind you of the other person and bring a smile to your face every time you hear them? If so, why not spend an evening celebrating your favorite music with your favorite person?
Make It Happen
As is the case with most of the ideas in this book, the more preparation you put into your date, the bigger the payoff will likely be. There are a few different ways you can approach your date.
1 Create separate playlists in advance and play them for each other during your date. The bigger your music library is, the better your playlist will be. If you don’t have the tunes you want on your device, raid the collection of a music-geek friend. Ask for input and find out about some songs or artists you may not be aware of.
2 Take turns playing songs from your music library that mean something to you. Scroll through the list and look for songs that tug at your heart, spark a memory, or take you back to certain times or events in your life.
3 Go to a used record store, find some romantic CDs, take them home, and dance to the songs. Talk about money well spent. If you’ve never slow danced together, this is the time.
Finish Strong
Before you end your Music Date, spend a few minutes talking together about the experience and what you’ll take away from it. Use the following questions as needed to guide your discussion: What song brought the most interesting conversation to the date? Did including music in the date affect your emotions at all during the date? How? If we didn’t have a “song” as a couple, do we now, after this date?
Mind Your Language
If your date’s primary love language is Quality Time (and if this Music Date is a success), try it again in a different venue. Go for a drive together -the longer, the better. If you don’t have a destination in mind, go for a nice jaunt in the country, like your grandparents might have done. Leave your distractions at home. All you’ll need is each other and a playlist of favorite songs. Spend a few hours singing and listening together. Talk about your reactions to certain tunes. Reminisce about the first time you heard them. Fill your car with music and your date’s love tank with Quality Time.
Take It to God
Before your date, spend some time in prayer together. Thank God for His gift of music and the influence it’s had on your lives. While you’re at it, why not have a quick worship time by singing your favorite praise song together? Seems appropriate, doesn’t it? Ask God to bless your time with each other; free your minds from distractions so you can focus completely on your date; help you shed your inhibitions and self-consciousness so you can fully enjoy God’s gift of music together.
Dig Deep
Throughout its pages, the Bible encourages God’s people to enjoy music and use it in our worship. See for yourself in these passages:
Psalm 71:23
Psalm 105:2
Ephesians 5:19
Colossians 3:16
James 5:13
Devotional reading from The Love Languages Devotional Bible, page 584
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