It’s been an unusually emotional week, which featured an emergency flight to Maryland. In a week rich with more emotions than my heart could process, my spirit was flooded with music. Messages of great value were carried by the spirit in these melodies, communicating treasures worth more than words. With the limitations of mere words, I will attempt to share the meaning of spirit-music brought by melodic messengers.
My Mysterious Mind
As you were reading my previous message, I was preparing for an unexpected trip to Maryland. My 10-month-old granddaughter, still in the hospital, had stalled in her recovery, and her parents had reached the depletion point. On Sunday morning, during the drive to church, my husband and I decided that I would fly out the next day to provide support at the hospital. If I stayed at the hospital with one exhausted parent the other parent could go home for the night and get much-needed rest.
During the church service, the praise band sang their first song. The lyrics of “Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call… Out of Zion's hill salvation comes” echoed a different message in me. “Here I come flying on the clouds…your mother comes.” I didn’t have a plane ticket yet, my plans were to book a flight that afternoon to leave the next morning, but I knew I would be flying very soon. The song wasn’t about me, and yet it was for me. I had heard the trumpet call, the weariness of my daughter, and I was responding. Soon I would be on my way.
The days leading up to the trumpet call had become increasingly difficult, my desire to help filled me with anguish. As those around me wondered why I hadn’t yet gotten on a plane, I knew it wasn’t time for me to go. Instead, my daily directions were to provide support through phone calls and text messages. I sat at the dining room table on Saturday afternoon, crying, and composed a text message about everlasting arms with a link to the old-time hymn. I ended the message with this: “I long desperately to be there so I can hug you in person! Instead, I am sending the everlasting arms.”
A few nights earlier I had a wave of dread wash over me, afraid for the well-being of my granddaughter so many miles away. I prayed for her and sang “Jesus Loves Me” but modified the words. “Jesus loves her, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. She is weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves her. Yes, Jesus loves her. Yes, Jesus loves her. The Bible tells me so.” I repeated this version of the lyrics until the knowledge of their truth settled into my being. She was loved more than I could possibly know.
Finally, on Monday, with the display of life-directing-lights before me all suddenly green, I was on my way. I would be there to deliver hugs in person, to sing and pray over my granddaughter in my arms, and to provide respite for my daughter and her husband. The trip took much longer than expected. My two-hour connection became almost four hours. Then, at long last on the plane and about to enter the runway, the plane had to turn back and go to the gate because of a “passenger issue.” I decided to use all of the extra time to rest in preparation for what I knew would be a sleep-deprived visit.
My daughter picked me up from the Baltimore airport and we drove straight to the hospital. After a quick orientation to a very dark hospital room, a groggy daddy, and a sleeping baby in a “prison crib,” my daughter went home to sleep in her own bed for the first time in a week. My night was precious and horrible. My granddaughter was awakened at 12:30 a.m. by an inept nurse who left an inconsolable baby after she left the room. For the next three hours I provided comfort to the tiny child, tubes taped to her face for feeding and oxygen. To my delight, she recognized me. I know because she remembered the “mouth and nose” game we played a few weeks earlier. In the dark of the hospital room, she made eye contact and reached one of her little hands to touch my mouth. “Yes, that is Grandma’s mouth,” I said quietly. Touching my nose, I added, “This is Grandma’s nose.”
I sang my version of “Jesus loves me” to her but changed the words appropriately. “Jesus loves you, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. You are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves you. Yes, Jesus loves you. Yes, Jesus loves you. The Bible tells me so.” When she would get sleepy, I would rock her gently in my arms and sing a made-up song that had no words. The spirit-music of this melodic messenger comforted both of us. Over the next few days, I was surprised to find the melody of this mysterious song persisted. It still has no words, but I plan to write some soon.
In the distress and sadness of my granddaughter’s illness, the comfort of heaven reached down and delivered musical messages. The melodic messenger of spirit-music chased away fear, delivered courage, and ushered in peace. The weakened state of my spirit opened my heart to hear the tunes from heaven. It is from that place of mystical wonder that I share my experience with you.
Message of Mystery Acres
My forest has a song. You hear it every time you listen to the recording attached to my messages. The melody playing at the beginning and end of each message is one I received from the forest. More accurately, the Creator of the forest gave it to me. During the darkest part of the pandemic, when depression had pulled me into a hole of despair, a song and its lyrics lifted me back out into the light. This song of the forest has many verses, some about its water, its flowers, the trees, and the birds.
More than two years later, when I wanted some music to accompany the podcast version of my writing, I realized I already had a melody that belonged to me. It was given to me when I needed heaven to reach down and raise me upward. The spirit-voice of this melodic messenger delivered hope and strength. Now it sings into those who listen to my feeble attempts to do the same.
The message of Mystery Acres is a song. It may have words, but it doesn’t need them. The melodic messenger of the forest requires only a willingness to listen.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“Make melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Ephesians 5:19)
With close to 400 references to singing, songs, and music, there is a lot of music in the Bible. Sadly, the writers didn’t have a way of recording any of the melodies that accompanied the many songs. The book of Psalms is believed to be an entire compilation of 150 songs, with no known tunes. In addition, there are lyrics preserved in other books of the Bible, bringing the total to at least 185 songs. The melodies have been lost to the passing of the centuries.
No matter. Paul, in his letter to the people of Ephesus, wrote that melodies come from the heart. In his advice to speak to each other in songs he said to “make melody to the Lord with your heart.” Lyrics, because they consist of words, are found in the mind, but melodies are the language of the heart and spirit. Thus, we can “sing” with our hearts and no words are needed. Plus, we can take the words of ancient songs and create new melodies from our hearts.
Here's something to try: Pick a favorite Psalm and “sing” it, making up the melody as you go. Open the music from your heart and just let the words come alive with whatever notes come forth. It doesn’t matter if the result is pleasant to you or not. If the melody is coming from your heart, combined with ancient words from scripture, the outcome will be beautiful to the Lord.
The words of Ancient Mystery encourage you to “make melody to the Lord with your heart.” Just as spirit-music can deliver melodic messages from heaven down to us, our heart-music will ascend heavenward to the Lord. Try singing from your heart and let the melodic messages flow freely between you and heaven.
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to live in the mystery of spirit-music with melodic messengers coming to us during our time of need? First, it means recognizing the visitation of heaven when we are experiencing more emotions than we can process. During these moments of overwhelming fear, sadness, or despair, messages of courage, joy, and hope are delivered through spirit-music. The challenge is whether our hearts are listening or are closed by our pain. To live in the mystery of spirit-music and the melodic messages it can bring is to open the ears of our hearts and listen.
As an old mom to young parents, I want to tell you about a little girl and her mom I overhead in the airport bathroom in Charlotte, North Carolina. The stressed-out mother was demanding that her child stop whatever she was doing. I don’t know the details of the situation because I could only hear their exchange. What I noticed next brought all my own worried thoughts to a screeching halt. Singing. The little girl started singing. I heard that sweet young voice and I suddenly knew: I would someday hear my now-very-sick-granddaughter sing. The melodic messenger, brought to me by this unknown child, spoke with spirit-music to encourage me. I can only hope her stressed-out mother was able to hear its message, too.
After only one night with my beloved granddaughter in the hospital, she made a beautiful recovery the next morning. Her appetite returned enough for the nasal-gastric tube to be removed. The oxygen her lungs could bring into her little body on their own became enough without an extra boost through a nasal cannula. After a painful removal of the tape holding these tubes to her delicate cheeks, she was free of essential medical support. A few hours later she was discharged and sent home for continued care. Three days after she came home, so did I.
The message I have attempted to share with words is one that typically has none. I hope my words stir your heart and move you to hear the melodic messengers whose spirit-music sings to you. As my heart ached for my granddaughter and her parents, I heard tender messages of peace, courage, hope, and strength coming through song, sometimes with words and sometimes not. Is your heart aching? Tune it to hear the musical messengers heaven is trying to send to you. Is someone you love hurting? Sing your prayers for them, sending melodic messengers heavenward. Spirit-music, sung from the heart, connects us with heaven and with those we love so dearly.
Connecting with Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, I admit there are times when my heart is full of more emotions than it can process. Thank You for sending melodic messengers from heaven, bringing Your spirit-music to help me and those I love. I want to hear Your spirit-music more often but sometimes I let the stress in my mind clog the ears of my heart. Help me to listen more completely to the spirit-music You send and to understand the melodic messages from You. Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, I suggest you go to Bible Gateway. This free online version of the Bible allows a search of words or phrases in various translations. Pick a number between 1 and 150, then turn to the corresponding Psalm. After you read through the words a few times, open your heart and try to sing them to the Lord. It’s amazing how heaven connects to your spirit when you do this. I dare you to try it!
You can find previous posts of my work at my ARCHIVE and organized compilations in the My Books section. You can also find Mystery’s Voice on Spotify.
I want to know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message (see below). I love hearing from you!
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