Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mysterious Ways" (U2)

Welcome to Tuesday!!!  It is a very important day in the lives of most Americans as we get the opportunity to show the world what a Constitutional Republic (not a Democracy) looks like (For the difference between the two, you know what to do:  An Important Distinction: Democracy verses Republic from lexrex.com).   Today we either exercise our rights or we relegate those rights to others who will make the decision regarding who our elected officials will be and what amendments will be passed.  It is our responsibilities as Americans to research the issues and the candidates, rather than listen to the babble that litters the airwaves or our mailboxes every two years, and then vote for those that best match our belief system.  It is my hope that if you are a follower of Jesus, you will allow the Bible to be the benchmark from which you chose how to cast your ballot.   Following the election we should also have respect for those who have been elected regardless of whether our ideology lines up with theirs.  The Apostle Paul had something to say about our attitude toward those who have been duly elected:   Romans 13:1-6 The Message With that said...Welcome to Today's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! Time for Throwback Tuesday!!  It's the first of the month and the Tuesday we revisit the emails that existed as Tuesday's Musical Notes prior to it becoming a blog.  Edited a bit for content, today's notes discusses how God's ways are not our ways.  In fact, some times God's ways can seem very mysterious to us... "Mysterious Ways" from U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby   In an effort to reinvent themselves, U2 released their seventh studio album Achtung Baby in November of 1991.  The bulk of the album was recorded in Berlin's Hansa Studios as Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. were seeking inspiration from Germany's 1990 reunification.  The result was a much more electronic and alternative album that would redefine the U2 sound for the next generation as well as expand on the fanbase that had been formed from previous U2 classic albums, The Joshua Tree(1987), The Unforgettable Fire (1984), and War (1983).   Reaching as high as #9 on Billboard's Hot 100, "Mysterious Ways" was the second track from Achtung Baby. It would set the stage for U2 making the transition to the Alternative/Grunge sound that would be ear candy for music listeners of the 90's.  "Mysterious Ways" was taken from an improvisational song called "Sick Puppy". The band scratched everything from the original song and started over building "Mysterious Ways". The only thing retained was Adam Clayton's bass line from the original song.  As I understand it that is the way songwriting usually goes.  From the outside looking in, it is quite the mystery. On a recent shopping trip, Tammy and discovered something new about Wal*Mart.  It's a great place to build relationships!!  We saw friends we had not seen in some time and had the opportunity to catch up.  One friend had become a pastor in Bald Knob, another had a cold, and yet another had a young adult contemplating whether to be a teacher or an artist.  They all had one thing in common.  Each of them took the time to invest in building the relationship that they had with Tammy and I.  While it may not have seemed like we were doing more than participating in small talk, in reality we were making connections and building foundations that will last for an eternity.  Something unique, special and to a certain extent mysterious, came from this particular outing.  You can build relationships with people, Christian and pre-Christian, while shopping Wal*Mart on a busy day.  Our shopping experienced turned into one of the mysterious ways that God uses for us to invest in others.      "God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform".  Perhaps you have heard this phrase all your life as I have.  While it is not found in the Bible,  it is the first line in a seldom sung hymn by William Cowper.  But I think it accurately describes aspects of my Wal*Mart shopping experience quite well.   God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.   Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sov’reign will.   Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.   Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.   His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flow’r.   Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.   He planted the people that I interacted with at that precise moment so we could reconnect and stoke the fires of our relationships.   So while I went for milk and bread, I picked up warm smiles and updates about the lives of friends, accomplishing the nourishment of the body and the soul.  If we are very honest with ourselves, there are mysterious ways of God all around us.  Some we are meant to understand, others...not so much.  But to the God who created us and everything around us, there are no such things as mysterious ways.  I think Isaiah put it best:  (God is speaking in this passage to Isaiah) I don’t think the way you think.     The way you work isn’t the way I work.”         God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth,     so the way I work surpasses the way you work,     and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies     and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,     producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth     not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do,     they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.  Isaiah 55:8 The Message Here's a taste of another "mysterious" song...maybe jumping the season just a bit, but a great song:  "Mystery" by Selah from the 2002 album Rose Of Bethlehem   Don't forget to VOTE!!! 'Til Tuesday, Serving HIM by serving you, Randy