A couple of my friends enjoy mowing grass. They love being out in the sun and riding around on their tractors to keep their lawns tidy.
Me? Not so much. We have nearly two acres, and the frequent rains this summer has meant the grass needs to be mowed frequently. My husband and I take turns, or sometimes, we each mow about half. Spending an hour and a half to three hours on the John Deere is not my favorite way to spend my time. I get bored going in circles.
Listening to music or podcasts is out of the question. I wear hearing protection but even so, the noise of the mower would be too loud to hear anything else. So I sing. The good thing is that no one else can hear my out-of-tune music.
My favorite music during these times is praise and worship, choruses from my youth, and classic hymns. I especially like songs that recognize the beauty of creation and the handiwork of the Creator. The lyrics of the late-1960s chorus “He’s Everything to Me,” based on Acts 17:27, are a good example: “He ruleth over land and sea” is one phrase.
Another of my favorites is “How Great Thou Art,” which celebrates the wonder of “all the worlds [His} hands have made.”
I’m grateful that I grew up singing many traditional hymns frequently enough that I can still recall most of the words to such greats as “The Old Rugged Cross,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” and “I Know Whom I Have Believed.” That is, I can remember the first and maybe one other verse.
Recalling and singing these hymns, as well as recent contemporary Christian music, turns an undesirable (for me) chore into a pleasant time of praise to God.
What is your favorite faith-based music, and how does it help you pass the time?
