I think I always wanted to make a CD, but my experiences in the recording studio have been awful. I’m the one who can’t sing on key and can’t seem to make my voice blend with the other voices when the “Record” button is pressed. I’ve been in the studio about 10 times and I never felt good about it.
When Peter opened his studio in 2004 I thought that maybe I could do it, maybe I could make a CD. I did manage to record one of my songs in 2006; but the goal was really to get my friend into the studio to record his songs. I stopped after the one song.
In 2007 Peter announced that he was closing his studio at the end of the summer. Time was running out. As the months passed and time was really running out, I gingerly sent an email asking if I could make a recording of my songs before he closed the studio. (I didn’t even have the courage to ask one of my best friends face to face. Hum.)
Of course he said yes, we picked the songs to record and we set to work immediately. It was May. Very quickly it became apparent that Peter would play the piano parts; he plays so beautifully and he gets it right on the first take. I don’t and I couldn’t.
When we started I vaguely remember telling Peter “You make all the decisions and I write the checks.” That’s how I (very wisely) hired him as an arranger and producer. I came to the studio before and after work and took vacation time when necessary.
As the months went on I worried. (I always worry and it’s a bad habit). I worried that we were running out of time. I knew that Peter was closing his recording studio, had to move and sell his equipment and was starting a new job as a Music Director and as a teacher (his first classroom teaching job). This was a huge deal and I could only wonder at the pressure of all of these transitions.
I could not imagine that he would have enough time to do it all. One day I said that I was afraid that I had waited too long and that we would run out of time. That’s when Peter said the most amazing thing I have heard in years: “I’ll make time for you.”
There was something about that phrase. It was music to me. It was powerful. It was truth. It was love. I thought about it and thought about it and I couldn’t let it go. It had such an impact on me.
In our society people have learned that it is good to say “I love you”. People do say it more often and that is good. But it’s hard to measure how much truth there is when someone says these words. Do they really mean it? What do they mean when they say it?
I think that in our ever-so-busy culture, “I’ll make time for you” is in some respects more important than “I love you”. It’s tangible, measurable and powerful. When Peter said these words I knew that he meant it and that he would do it and just how much it would cost him. I was amazed and humbled and my respect for him grew immensely. I had known that we were good friends before this, but this five word sentence spoke volumes to me.
Later when I repeated this story to someone they said: “Is time your love language?” I hadn’t thought about it, but I guess that time is my love language. Words and promises have proved so meaningless over the years that I think they are wasted on me now. Gifts don’t impress me, as I don’t really need or desire more “stuff”. I’m even paring down.
I think that what I treasure most is T-I-M-E.
Time spent with good people is at the top of the list. I’m completely put off by our multi-tasking culture, and unfortunately I am guilty in this area. I would rather share a chore or a workload with a friend then have only “part” of someone’s attention. The cell phone and the computer have altered and disrupted friendships in a huge way and we’re often reduced to cyber contact, even with our good friends.
As I have continued to ponder these words over the last year they both resonate and are convicting. Who are the people in my life that I will make time for? Could I say these words to God? Do I make time for God? Is He at the top of my list, or do I just fit Him in?
“I’ll make time for you” impacted me in a big way. I bet that God would be impressed if we believed, said and did that for Him. Just think what He’d do for the ones who did this for Him?
If these five words speak love to me, something deep inside of me knows that they also say “I love you” to God in a real and visible way. Will you say “I’ll make time for you” to God today?
