Hey, there friend! Welcome to Tuesday! It's time to celebrate another day of livin'! It's time to celebrate another day of life! Today's life is brought to you in the mold of the 3rd day of the week! Get this! Tuesday derives its name from Old English and the celebration of the god of single combat. I don't know about you, but I've had some Tuesdays that seem like I'm always fighting something. Norse mythology also has this day as a celebration of law and justice. Maybe your single combat battles have resulted in law and justice being served...or maybe it's just Tuesday. 
Anyway, welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, the blog that answers many of the questions you never really wanted to be answered...but found interesting nonetheless. In my life, it is a great way to meld three of my favorite things! More about those in a moment but for now thanks for stopping by!!! We hope Tuesday's Musical Notes is on your list of places you remember...
Rubber Soul was one of the rare records that came at a time when The Beatles had no touring or film commitments. It was the band's sixth album overall but only their second album of completely original material. Coming right off the heals of HELP! (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "HELP!" (The Beatles)), it was their second album to be released in 1965. The album saw two versions produced. One for the US and the other for the UK. The US versions cut 4 songs that would later be included in the 1966 album, Yesterday and Today. Rubber Soul is one of the iconic albums by The Beatles and found itself at #5 position on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
"In My Life" joins the other songs of Rubber Soul by seeming to usher in a more reflective season for the music of The Beatles. Very little of their writing had to do with personal moments of their lives up to this point. If you review the singles released by The Beatles, pre-Rubber Soul, you see that especially the Lennon/McCartney collaborations on this album are different.
While "In My Life" is credited to Lennon/McCartney, there is some conversation regarding its origin.
The song was never released as a single but gets continued radio play due to its being on a track on Rubber Soul and the fact that it is by THE BEATLES. "In My Life" remains so popular that it also finds itself on a Rolling Stone list. It comes in at #23 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Not too bad for a song that wasn't a single, nor was it in the mode of what was expected by the biggest band in the world at the time of its recording.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Some of the biggest names in music have covered "In My Life". Allan Hall (Selah), Judy Collins, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Cash, and Bette Midler have all produced the song on albums. Midler's version was on the soundtrack to the movie For the Boys and was the most successful of the covers finding itself peaking at #20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. John Lennon's first wife Cynthia even recorded a cover of "In My Life" for The Beatles Complete on Ukelele. (You read that right...it is an attempt to record every Beatles song by or at least including a ukelele.)
There is much we can imitate from the song. Its reflective theme resonates with everyone at some point in their lives. Even kings take the opportunity to look back. And here's where my 3 favorite things, Tuesday, tunes, and theology, come together, right now...you get the point.
David is absolutely my favorite Old Testament Bible character. First of all, he is a musician. Me too!!! I mean really what more do we need than a musician who will be king, but I digress.
Secondly, he is a herdsman. Me too!!! (well at least as a kid on our small farm. Cattle was our animal of choice and then it was only 10-12 head, does that count as a herd?) David's herd consisted of sheep. Perhaps we've mentioned the fact that sheep herding is one of the most difficult livestock trades existing. Sheep are not the brightest animal, in fact, they are considered the dumbest on the planet. (Perhaps that's why the Bible refers to humans as sheep on occasion.) The sheepherder is not only responsible to protect the flock from predators but also from the sheep themselves.
Finally, David really messed up many times throughout his life. Me too!!! Just like King Saul his mentor and predecessor, he disobeyed God and sinned. On one of the most egregious occasions, David had Uriah, one of his mighty men, killed to cover up the affair David had with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. This sin and others in David's life had consequences. David repented and God revived their relationship. Even though David was restored in his relationship with God, those consequences would plague him for the rest of his life. His kingdom was seemingly in turmoil for the remainder of his life in the form of a family that defines dysfunctionality for generations to come.
The difference between David and Saul? Through all of the mess-ups, the wrongdoings, and the sin, David remembered something that had been prevalent in his life. He loved God more. Saul disobeyed God and never seemingly repented of his broken relationship with God. He loved himself and his power more. David however, mourned in the times his relationship with God was broken because of his missteps. He repented for the sin in his life and he turned to the God who had brought him out of the hands of lions and giants and into the throne room of a king. He loved God more than the trappings of being king and the power of conquering surrounding nations. He loved God more than the lust that consumed him at his greatest failure and he turned his grief about the broken relationship with God into repentance and obedience and praise of the God who was faithful to restore him.
Many of the Psalms are an expression of the way David felt at times in his life. Some of those Psalms are celebratory and others are depressing. He wrote songs about how God had brought him into triumph and he wrote songs about his experiences away from God. Psalm 51:1-17 NASB/AMP/KJV
Ultimately, the theme of David's songs was his love and trust in God. Regardless of the people and things he'd known before, in his life...David loved God more.
Can the same be said for us? Where do our affections lie? Have we been truly honest with ourselves as we reflect on the places we remember? Have we come to a point where we realize that this is not all there is? Have we come to a point where we hear a still small voice calling to us to come to Him forever and for better? Have we come to a point where we recognize that in our life there's something more?
This song is attributed to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Regardless of who wrote it, I can see King David singing it. I can see me seeing it. What about you? Can you hear yourself singing..."In my life, I love You more?
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving You,
randy
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