in-flu-ence (noun)
A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort:
What influences you?
Every day there are influencers (persons, places, things) that have an impact on how we think, how we act.
As young children, our parents or caregivers are the central influencers in our days. As we grow older we are faced with a much wider circle of people, places and things that grab our attention, make us think differently, and change how we decide, think and plan.
My summer has been one of recognizing the benefits of good influences on my days.
I spent the month of July working on renovations. First was the transformation of a small bedroom, previously occupied by our International student, into a cozy office for hubby. The next renovation was the transformation of a larger bedroom and bathroom. previously occupied by another International (and male) student, into a feminine space for our adult daughter.
The process of renovations meant that I was ‘stuck’ in one space for days at a time, as cleaning, patching, sanding, painting, and installing took place. To break the silence, I sought music.
Since I knew that my renovations were going to take many days (and, of course, they ended up taking many more days than I had planned) I was intentional with my choice of music … I chose a Christian music radio station to blast over the internet and into my ears.
There was a very real reason I chose as I did … I knew that what I would be hearing, for hours on end, would influence my thoughts.
Now I know that there are many (Christians) who would argue that Christian music is really bad quality (musically), and certainly is true some times. That said, anyone who has listened to any other genre of music would also have to admit that there are duds on every music channel (ever heard of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” song? Over 56million YouTube views, and critics have called it the worst song in music history).
Years ago, while driving kids here and there, I realized that I was returning home feeling differently about hubby than I had when I left the house hours earlier. Then the words of a song (I do not remember the song, but it’s theme was similar to “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore”) playing on the radio came into my conscious state, and I realized that they were creating a dissatisfaction within me, in my relationship with my guy.
All of a sudden a little ‘ditty’ from my childhood started to play in my memory …
“Be careful little ears what you hear …”
It does not mean that I only listen to Christian or spiritual music, nor does it mean that I shun other music genres (although when it comes to country music … 😉 ). I love a great variety of music and artists. But, when I know I am going to be listening for a significant amount of time, I want to be careful what I hear … because it can be a powerful influencer on my days, and relationships, and thoughts.
itsawonderfilledlife 