This Kirk Franklin bop was brought to me by one of my beloved former students, Taylor Bradley. This song pushes me to look on the bright side and scolds me for complaining when things aren’t going quite the way I think they should. If we open our eyes and look around us, we realize that there are so many things that could’ve happened to us and that God spared us. Just the other day, I was in my car, distracted, reversing, and did not see a car behind me. It was a dark New England morning and even though I looked in the rear view mirror, I did not see this car behind me. Somehow (I’m still baffled by this) my foot hit the brakes — just in time. I then saw the car, seemed like millimeters from the back of mine. I could’ve rammed into it. But I didn’t.

That was God. There are so many moments like that everyday, for each of us and for our loved ones. I’m grateful. I’m thankful. I can keep going assured of the blessings rolling in minute by minute.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts

My childhood friend Okey introduced me to this song by Nathaniel Bassey. It has the exuberance and boundless joy that I remember in Nigerian praise songs. The song itself reminds me of Okey and his ever present gently positivity.

The song signals the conflating of black gospel and white Christian musical influences in the West African imagination. I hear both threads in this song. It reflects the complicated nature of our post colonial psyches and the bombardment of influences particularly through religion and pop culture.

Anyway. Enough of the academic thinking. I love this song. It is a reminder of our God who is a miracle worker. Translated from Yoruba, “Onise Iyanu” means the one who works miracles. And indeed don’t we all have testimonies of the wonders of God’s grace? I get to desperate places where I see no escape and it is only Onise Iyanu that sets me on a path that I had not seen before. I’m grateful for God’s consistency in my life, and in the lives of my children and husband and family. I realize that I have to humble myself, get passed my pride and anxiety, to claim the grace from which miracles come.

James 4:6 God gives more grace. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

This song “Mary Don’t You Weep” was sent by my friend Sheila Baldwin who I met while I worked at Columbia College. She was another black sista professor on campus and we had a great connection. Not all skin folk are kin folk, but Sheila was a good sista to me. This song is a perfect reflection of sisterhood.

The story of Mary and Martha is a story of two sisters, both grieving for their brother who has just passed, and both dealing with it in their own way. They had prayed and hoped that Jesus would save him. It looked as if their prayers were not answered and they sunk into grief and depression. I’ve been there. Losing a beloved brother is a terrible experience. I cried and cried when I lost my brother. But this song reminds us that we should wipe our tears, that God comes through even in the deepest depression. Aretha brings this song with conviction and passion. The lyrics remind us of God’s victories, such as the saving of the Israelites when they were fleeing pharaoh. Everything looked hopeless because a whole army, armed and powerful were in hot pursuit. God came through using the Red Sea. Mary don’t you weep. It will be alright. And sometimes we need a reminder of that truth from a friend or a sister.

John 11:28. She went secretly to her sister Mary, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling you.”

I crossed paths briefly with Marques Ruff while I was at Mizzou. He was a grad student in the school of music and exuded such positive energy. I was not surprised this was the song he offered. It reflects the basis of that energy. The song is simple in its lyrics: Be grateful! It reminds us to remember that everything will be alright. What an awesome and important message to get you on your way for the day! I admit I am not always mindful of the blessings in my life. I’m not always grateful for them, particularly when the busyness of life and the challenges cloud my view.

The song repeats the message:be grateful, be grateful. My family, my health, my job, my intellect, my friends, provision – I’m grateful to God for it all. I’m grateful for open doors for me, my husband, my children, my siblings, my entire family. And I’m grateful for the daily things as well, like how he keeps me safe on these icy Amherst roads! I’m trying to lose 20 pounds. It’s not coming off easily, but I’m grateful I’m not packing on any more weight. For small and big things, I’m grateful. God’s gifts in our lives are innumerable and indescribable.

2 Cor 9:15 — Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

This is another song that Alva sent me. I love the long-term vision of this song by William Murphy. Everything is working for my good, no matter what is going on. When we come to a speed bump in the road, our inclination is to turn back, but this song reminds us that these obstacles are fine because God is leaning in our direction. I also love the assertion that this is my season for grace and favor. And my “season” is every day of my life.

I love the idea of having access to God’s grace and favor. We can’t depend on people’s grace and favor. Nope. We have no control over them. But we are assured that God has an endless measure of grace (forgiveness, love) and favor (advantages, light) for us. As I head out the door, I walk in my season of favor and grace. If that article is not accepted by the journal, it’s ok. I’ll get an opportunity to make it even better and it will be accepted elsewhere. Like Job when he was going through his trials, even as my doubts overwhelm me, I have to remember God’s goodness and favor. Everything is working together for my good.

Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor.

My friend Alva sent me this song by Vicki Yohe. Alva and I had kids in the same track club and I got to know her and her family while we sat at meets. I love this song because it reminds me that we should not always ask for stuff when we pray. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray for so worship is enough. It reminds me to just spend time with God because our creator is worthy of worship. God is worthy of my time. God has so blessed me with life and love – I worship because of these blessings and because I am so sure that God is kind and good and loving and dependable. God has me sheltered no matter what. So I worship my God.

I love the dependability of God. My mother raised us to know that God is everywhere. We have access to God always because s/he is a spirit. I’ve avoided using the masculine term lately because the Spirit of God is much bigger than one gender reference or the other. God is omnipresent and I worship him, her, them because I get to partake and benefit from this generous spirit.

John 4:25 God is spirit. So worship God in Spirit and in truth.

This song, also from Osoba Aire, reminds us that we are not islands. It urges us to remember that we are all part of a community of faith, a sisterhood, a brotherhood, a family of faith, and that these are important aspects of our journeys. We need each other.

I think there are two readings of this song. We can lean on God and we can lean on each other. Isn’t that the very definition of our faith? That God is in us, and when we lean on each other we are also leaning on God. But also, the song is reminding us that as much as we seek out shoulders to lean on, we should provide our own shoulders to be leaned on as well. I need to be mindful of both orientations – to seek out the people I trust to help me get through and to make myself open and accessible to those who need my shoulder. I’m grateful for my immediate family and my wider family of faith. They’ve held me up countless times. But in those really difficult moments, the strongest shoulder is God’s. My God is compassionate, loving, steadfast, forgiving, welcoming, and not judgy! (PS/ I wish R.Kelly was not on this song! Am I judgy for that thought?)

Psalm 9:9: The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble

I love this song that my old friend Osoba Aire sent me. We grew up together in Jos, Nigeria. Our families are close and I know what his family has gone through. I see them all “stand” and walk through life, secure in the love they have for each other and steady in their faith.

This is the song I played for one of my friends who sat in my car, crying because he felt his world was over. Everything had been stripped away from him and he thought there was no way out. I had talked and talked and could not console him. So I pulled out my phone and played this for him.

And this is the song I played again and again when I lost my beloved brother. I had done all I could, asked myself where to turn for consolation. And the only thing I could do was Stand on God’s promises that we would heal. My husband and children hugged me tightly and held me up when I faltered. On one of those dark days, my friend Chinwe called me and told me “You know all those years of building your faith? This is what it was for. Believe that God has a plan.”

Philippians 4;13: I can do all things through God who strengthens me.

Tiffanesha Williams recommended this gem. I met her when I taught at Mizzou. She was a graduate student and a leader. She always had a quiet strength about her. This song explains why she always had a calmness about her. We were both on a committee and would sit in meetings that could get long and contentious. I never saw Tiffanesha ruffled. She would just smile and respond with wisdom and confidence. Not surprised this is her song.

This song reminds us that no matter what we are going through we should give God praise. God provides, rescues, lifts us up. We should be thankful for the consistency of God’s hand in our lives. Whatever trials that come my way, and they do when I least expect them, they are surmountable. These trials a real — the loss of loved ones, problems at work, children or spouses going through difficulties, illness, broken friendships, financial woes – all these mountains will be defeated. That’s what our faith is for. Even a tiny measure of faith in that notion of victory is enough to incrementally pull us through. For this we give God praise.

Matt 17:20 – If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you shall say to this mountain ‘move from here’ and it shall move and nothing shall be impossible for you.

I asked my friends for their “most favorite, most inspirational” gospel songs. I’m taking them all on, one at a time, as I make my way back to my spiritual core. Love! Life!