You Are Wanted
I 100% believe that what we listen to, watch, and read affects us. Someone once told me; “Music always takes you where it came from.” Which can actually be true of media in general. Basically, there’s something connected to all forms of media; be it good or bad and it will take us back to where it originated—be it from a sad place, happy or angry. I’ll admit that at first I was a bit skeptical by that saying. But when I opened my heart and examined the choices I’d been making in light of what I’d been consuming, let’s just say the results were surprising.
Before I explain or go any further I’d like to say that I am in NO WAY bashing or putting down any artists, shows, types of music or entertainment. The purpose of this post is not to get you to do what I do nor to persuade you to stop listening to, watching, or reading certain content. My heart is to show you what I’ve discovered to be true and if you want to adjust, so be it. If not, that’s fine too. Do whatever is right for YOU! Basically; you do you, boo!! 😉
As I mentioned above, what we consume takes us back to where it came from. I don’t know about you but for some reason, whenever I’ve had moments where I was in my feelings about something, I’d turn to music that spoke to those feelings. For instance, growing up I LOVED Beyoncé!! So much so that if it was not a Beyoncé song, I was not playing it. Her music has a way of getting you in your feelings for sure. She has this one song called “Resentment” and that was my go to song for a lot of my “in your feelings” moments.
The thing is, those feelings were not necessarily the best—in my opinion. I hate feeling hurt! But that song and songs like it only pacify the hurt feelings instead of heal them. We know the saying, “Hurt people hurt people.” It’s true! If I’m working to stop the cycle of hurt, then why should I consume something that either pacifies the hurt, bandages it, tells me why I’m right to feel some type of way or any of the above?
My point in mentioning that is: in my moments of hurt feelings or when my emotions were on 10, I took it upon myself to consume music that spoke to the pain and not only kept me there but took me deeper into it instead of leading me out of it. Resentment isn’t the only song nor is Beyoncé the only artist that’s done that, but to my point; that’s one song that’s left me feeling some type of way because that’s where it came from. If you’ve seen the movie “Dream Girls,” you know what I’m talking about.
To be honest, a lot of the music I’ve consumed in the past has fed things that were never supposed to be true for me. As a child of God, heartache and disappointment happens, but I have a choice to allow disappointment to affect me negatively or I can choose to rise up in my authority and say, “NO, this will NOT get the best of me.” Feelings are not a bad thing but some feelings we feel can sometimes lead us to places we don’t want nor need to go to.
Just like there are songs that pacify our feelings, there are also songs that may speak to our feelings AND then lead us out of them toward truth. Gospel and Worship music does that for me. In the past I dealt with rejection and I’d listen to music that told me I only needed myself and no one else. Music that led me to believe that finding the right guy would be enough for me. I watched TV shows that left me relating to the main character who was also rejected but she and her best friends were ok with their circle. Every now and then, however, they longed to be a part of the popular crowd. Not coincidentally, I found those same desires in myself.
To my point, one day I was introduced to this song that changed so much for me. It was during a time when I felt unwanted and unloved, meanwhile I have a mom who adores me and some other people in my life but I didn’t have many friends and I felt like I was missing something. So, to hear this song called “Wanted” by an artist named Dara Maclean was a breath of fresh air! It was right on time!! “Wanted” painted a picture for me that I needed and even longed to see. “I AM WANTED!”
I promise that this is not an ad! 😉 But given the trend that’s been happening lately with all the suicides that have occurred, it stands to reason that maybe something else was behind all of this. I will not get super spiritual on you guys BUT I will say that what if they felt unwanted? No one just outright takes their own life without cause. If you’re really enjoying life you’d want to live it to the fullest. I also know from experience; I was once suicidal because I felt unwanted and didn’t know that I have a purpose—just like EVERYONE else does. A song didn’t teach me that BUT it did echo what was already spoken before the beginning of time; YOU MATTER. YOU ARE WANTED. YOU WERE PLANNED WITH A PURPOSE.
Ultimately God saves us but He will also work through people for people. Do you know how something you watch or listen to can replay in your mind over and over? THAT is called meditation and meditation leads to revelation. When I was playing “Resentment” I was meditating on resentment and consequently feeling resentful and acting from a place of resentment. The same is true for “Wanted!” When I listened to it, it’d replay in my mind, therefore I was meditating on the TRUTH that I am wanted and consequently I acted from a place of being WANTED.
What goes in must come out—this is true for EVERYTHING! So if, “hurt people, hurt people” because hurt was what went in, what if the fix to all the madness in the world were all of us taking the time to meditate on truth which in turn leads to our healing that in turn leads to others being healed instead of hurt? #HealedPeopleHealPeople JESUS is the answer, for sure!! But just like He worked through Dara for me and thousands of others I’m sure, what if He worked through all of us for those in our sphere of influence? God is, has always been and will always be in the business of healing and multiplication. One person you reach can reach hundreds of others and so on. If we’re looking for change, let’s allow change to start with us!
Remember that YOU ARE WANTED! You were created ON PURPOSE with a PURPOSE! No one can be you like you can be you! The world would NOT be the same without YOU IN IT!! I also want to encourage you to take some time to reach out to those you care about. Reach out to the strong ones in your life, and those who may not be so strong. Anyone who comes to mind, call or text them and let them know you care. Stand with them and remind them that they ARE WANTED—because they are and so are YOU! Comment your thoughts, share this with a friend and have a beautiful day! xoxo