Humming for Peace and Contentment

As I was driving in to work this morning, the last song I heard before getting out of my car was “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. It was such a nice version of it that I sat in my car for an additional minute to listen to the end of it.

I then proceeded in to work to set my things down and get some yummy pumpkin spice creamer. As I was heating up my coffee and adding my additional ingredients, I couldn’t help but hum that song. I turned to leave the break room and saw the Sales Receptionist, a lady probably around my mom’s age, standing there in suspense, most likely waiting for me to turn around so she could identify me.

“Were you just humming that song?” she asked. I answered, “yes. Was I being too loud?” She said “No. I’ve heard that people that hum or whistle out loud are really happy.” I smiled and said “Well at the moment, yes I guess I’m happy.” She then added, “Yea, I’ve just heard that when people hum or whistle that they’re happy, and it’s a sign of peace and contentment.” I couldn’t help but think; I wonder if she knew what I was humming. And if she didn’t, if only she knew!

And then it got me thinking; I never realized that that could be a reason why I had that song stuck in my head. I always thought, like I’m sure most people do, that I was humming it simply because it was the last thing I’d heard and it was just stuck in my head.

But then I thought about it more – you get songs stuck in your head, but you don’t always sing them out loud. What would make you hum or whistle a song out loud? I guess she was right – I must have been so happy at that moment that I couldn’t keep the song inside anymore. I guess God is really working in mysterious ways!

On a side note – I heard a wonderfully moving song (for me, at least) on the radio yesterday and then I heard it again as I was driving home. It’s called “You are More” and it’s by a relatively new Christian group from Florida called Tenth Avenue North. Apparently it’s off their second album, and they only have 2, so I’m not so far behind that I have to get 12 albums or anything!

It really spoke to me, because, as I’ve mentioned, it’s been an emotional few weeks for me, personally and professionally. But it was so nice to hear the message of the song, that I actually cried in my car. And I knew that I needed to have the song. So I downloaded their album off of iTunes, and am looking forward to really listening to it. But in the meantime, please read through their lyrics, and hopefully you will take something from it:

Tenth Avenue North: “You Are More”
There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"
But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

(Chorus)
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight
She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try
But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
(repeat Chorus)

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

(Repeat Chorus X2)
You've been remade (repeat 4X)