Mix Tape

I’m making a mix tape today. Well, I guess it’s not really a tape, nobody uses tapes anymore, but the nomenclature still works. It’s a collection of songs that have endeared themselves to me this past year. Each summer, my best friend from college and I exchange these mix tapes to get a feel for the music that has been influential in our lives. That’s the thing about music, it goes to an emotional place in our lives, sometimes into our souls, and sharing it opens us up to a kind of vulnerability.

But the thing about a mix tape is that, no matter how I try, there is always a track or two that my friend doesn’t really get. I pick things that appealed to me, but since we’re not the same person, he doesn’t like all the songs that I liked. And not every song he sends to me knocks me out either. And this kind of stinks because I work very hard, all year long, crafting our annual mix tape, sharing a piece of me and where I am in my life. I would like to think that he will just love every song I have placed on the playlist, but I know that’s not the case.

I think our lives are kind of like a mix tape. When we connect with another person and share our lives, sometimes we make a great connection but sometimes it’s less than perfect. The thing about life is that if we try to live our lives alone and never open up, we can’t have the kind of spiritual experience that God wants for us in this world. He designed us to do life together. And sometimes that means rejection or disappointment. But we can’t discover the good in people if we’re not willing to expose myself to the possibility of pain. God wants us to commit ourselves to His priorities and His people, and that’s only possible when we open ourselves up to the people around us.

Life is better with a mix tape, share yours with somebody today.

For more on commitment to Christ and others, check out OASIS this Wednesday night at Calvary.