I’ve had this old song stuck in my head for the past week. I’ve tried all I can to expunge it from my thoughts, but it keeps coming back. I knew that the situation had deteriorated to the crisis stage when I heard Bella walking around singing it!

I remember talking to a friend a month or so ago about my struggles to remember the Gospel in the middle of stressful times. One of the things he recommend for me to do was to involve myself in the ways of remembering that work for me. For me that would be music.

I really love music and lyrics stick in my head forever. Good and bad.

I’ve posted the lyrics to the brain infecting song from this week. As you look over them, you will realize that this song is a virtual bastion of bad theology. Some truth, yes, but overall it’s a treatise on the relativity of all truth except what your feelings tell you.

My challenge is to be careful what I proclaim to my soul. The mind is the guard of the heart and I easily let other gospels in my mind. Other gospels? Yes. They creep in and infect my thoughts of what is true. I preach to myself of the uncertainty of life, of the need for validation, of the primacy of my reputation, of the inadequacy of God…

Strangely, with these sermons resonating in my mind, I find it difficult to love others. I am concerned with myself and my rights. I spend my resources, time, talent, treasure on me. I must ensure my well being. I must demand credit for good deeds, I must have my way. (I told you country music was bad for the soul!)

But, there is another song. A song to be sung, proclaimed, remembered.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zeph. 3:17

Loud singing!!! The Father is very fond of me!

G

The Song: I Believe in You by Don Williams

I don't believe in superstars,
Organic food and foreign cars.
I don't believe the price of gold;
The certainty of growing old.
That right is right and left is wrong,
That north and south can't get along.
That east is east and west is west.
And being first is always best.

But I believe in love.
I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.
And I believe in you.

Well, I don't believe that heaven waits,
For only those who congregate.
I like to think of God as love:
He's down below, He's up above.
He's watching people everywhere.
He knows who does and doesn't care.
And I'm an ordinary man,
Sometimes I wonder who I am.

But I believe in love.
I believe in music.
I believe in magic.
And I believe in you.

Well, I know with all my certainty,
What's going on with you and me,
Is a good thing.
It's true, I believe in you.

I don't believe virginity,
Is as common as it used to be.
In working days and sleeping nights,
That black is black and white is white.
That Superman and Robin Hood,
Are still alive in Hollywood.
That gasoline's in short supply,
The rising cost of getting by.

But I believe in love.
I believe in old folks.
I believe in children.
I believe in you.

But I believe in love.
I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.
And I believe in you.