The Spirit of God is in my iPod – Episode One

Since I got my iPod two years ago, I have had two very mystical experiences that have convinced me that the Spirit of God is in my iPod.

Episode One: The Mellow iPod

Awhile back, my iPod was in a very mellow mood. I often choose “Shuffle Songs” just to see what it chooses. I have to admit, there have been many times I skipped the current song just out of curiosity of what’s coming up next not because I don’t like the current song. Personally, I am more of an upbeat music person, but my wife enjoys jazz and John Mayer-types. Since she shares my iPod with me, I have to skip an occasional song of hers or two, but since 95% of the songs downloaded to my iPod are my style, this happens only occasionally. Usually, I end up with a nice mix of Kanye West (clean versions of course), P.O.D., Crash Rickshaw, the Datsuns, The Cat Empire, Iz, Prague, Gipsy Kings, The Black Eyed Peas, and Nirvana. On this particular day, my iPod kept choosing so much mellow music that I couldn’t help but think something must be wrong. My iPod seemed downright despondent.

I tried to listen to the first Norah Jones’ song, but I just couldn’t wait to see what was next, plus I was driving and didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel. The second Norah Jones song which came up as the second choice from my iPod was just annoying. After a contemporary worship song came a segment from a sermon. I still don’t know how to get those sermons off my music playlist. After a rousing version of “Picture Perfect” by Michael W. Smith, another Norah Jones song popped up. It was then I thought this could not be a coincidence. My iPod was trying to tell me something!

The somewhat melancholy “Like Someone in Love” by Bjork and the White Stripes’ “As Ugly As I Seem,” the only mellow song from my White Stripes cds that I downloaded onto my iPod, were two of the next three songs. Those two songs along with “Picture Perfect” from earlier made me wonder if my iPod didn’t feel good about its appearance or perhaps, it was trying to tell me that it was ok that I wasn’t attractive. Fortunately, the 7th song chosen by my iPod, the song just between Bjork and The White Stripes made the message clear. The message wasn’t from my iPod, it was a message from God.

The lyrics came crashing into my soul:

“Almighty God, the great I Am
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful, awesome lord
Victorious warrior commanding kind of kings, mighty conqueror

And the only time, the only time I ever saw Him run
Is when He ran to me, took me in his arms
Held my head to his chest, said my son’s come home again
Looked at my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in his voice he said son, do you know I still love you
It caught me by surprise, brought me to my knees
When God ran

The day I left home, I knew I had broken his heart
I wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night, I remembered his love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see

I saw Him run to me
It caught me by surprise
Brought me to my knees
When God ran

“When God Ran” by Shaded Red brought tears to my eyes. Since I first heard this song just after Caleb’s birth and traumatic fight for life, I always thought of him. Every time I would listen, I would pray that one day Caleb would be able to come home and run to me. I know the literal words involved the Father running to the son, but I was a grieving and disoriented parent. Even after not hearing this song for years, my mind took me right back to those feelings I felt after he was first born even though Caleb came home from the hospital years ago. I have seen him run, sometimes a bit side to side or at an angle, but he can do it. In fact, in teeball he always asks me to cheer for him to “run like the wind.” This time my tears weren’t a result of the pain I was feeling at his birth or even the fear of Caleb’s uncertain future, I was crying tears of gratitude.

Not only had God allowed me the opportunity to see my son run to me, I was reminded of all the many ways God had shown His love for me. Like film being shown in fast motion, thoughts of other answered prayers and miraculous interventions raced through my mind. In the end, I could not get past the fact that the Creator of the Universe cares for me. Jesus shared a story of the son who ran away from home wasting his life only to return home to a forgiving and loving father. That’s me! I am that boy! If for no other reason, I should embrace those I love to hate because God loves me. Just as God ran to us, we should run with open arms into the world.