Perhaps you are not like me.

While I go through most of my days with my head down working my way through my long and varied to-do list, I am by nature an emotional guy. I can go below the surface for long periods of time when necessary, but eventually I need to come up for air. Laughter, reading, praying, sports, deep conversation, and engaging in social media relationships are but a few of the ways I unwind. Nothing engages my heart, however, like the one thing that seems to be hard-wired into my soul.

Music.

Whether it’s Jane Monheit’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, Andrea Bocelli singing “The Prayer”, Mercy Me’s interpretation of “The Love of God” or the Rolling Stones searing “Gimme Shelter”, there is something in music that refreshes me, focuses me and challenges me. It gets to my heart, and I get honest with myself and how I’m doing “right quick.”

If you looked at my MP3 collection, you’d find artists as diverse as you can imagine. KT Tunstall, Springsteen, Tomlin, Crowder, Chicago, Supertramp, Sufjan Stevens, Gladys and her pips, Placido Domingo, The Police, Ray Charles, Santana, Jason Mraz, U2, Third Day….the list goes on and on.

There are, of course, songs on my iPod that are there for background music…or I just ignore them. Who knows why they are there? Perhaps they hit a spot in my heart years ago, but I’ve long forgotten why I purchased them. Still, as I sat listening to carefully chosen songs this morning, songs I picked specifically for the condition of my heart, I remembered just how great a gift the Creator has bestowed on us.

Are you like me?