My Favorite Therapy… by JoAnn
A good friend of mine mentioned the other day that she felt blasting loud music in the car is a great therapy. I had to agree. Anyone who loves music knows how much comfort, cheering up, or just pure enjoyment they can get from it, and it is indeed good therapy.
I went a step further and explained to her that I make it therapy for me by first turning down the music, talking to God for a while, and then letting the music blast. I told her that would work even better and that she should try it. She’ll really enjoy it if she does.
I began talking to God in the car many, many years ago. I had heard someone say they used the long drive home from work to spend alone time with the Lord. Praying and just chatting. They found it helpful in passing the time waiting in traffic and calmed their nerves in one of the most stressful times of their day. Even better, they began to feel closer in their personal relationship with God. That’s a big win in my book. So, of course, I had to try it.
Before long, it became an automatic habit. Every time I get into my car, the engine gets started, the seat belt on, the radio on, and I put it into gear. But before I make it to the corner of my street, the volume goes down on the radio, and I begin my conversation with my best friend.
Lately, I have realized that I am also automatically beginning each conversation with “Thank you, Lord!”. I’m not sure how that began, but I am happy that it did. I don’t want a day to go by that I do not thank the Lord for all the blessings I have. Even when it feels like I have only a few, I want to lift those few up to Him in gratitude. Of course, we all know that we never have just a few. If we sit down and count them all, most of us have an overabundance of blessings compared to many less fortunate.
Most days, I talk to the Lord for far too long. I have to admit that I know I must be boring Him. When I catch myself, I simply apologize and wrap things up. Talking to Him is just like talking to any good friend. There are no magic words or perfect eloquence in how to speak. You just talk from your heart, just as you would any loved one.
So, tomorrow, I plan to go for a nice drive, enjoy the beautiful fall countryside that envelopes me, and begin my latest therapy session. There will be great conversation, much praise, and excellent music to be had! I hope you give it a try, too.
