The most power evaluations of my daily life take place because of my 8-month-old daughter.
A few months ago I was driving home in my black Dodge Ram, singing to the radio like I usually do. A song came on, one that I always love and always listen to, so I turned it up. A few lines into the first verse I got an uncomfortable feeling deep down somewhere in the center of my core. Never before had I thought twice about this particular song's lyrics but all of a sudden I thought, "What if Alexa could understand?" I slowly reached for the dial and clicked it off. I barely remember the remainder of the drive because I was so lost in thought...
Sensitivity to music, or lack thereof, is something that I've always had to work at. Growing up I listened to everything and anything: rock, indie, r&b, screamo. There are some things in music that send red flags to me. For instance, when I listen to Pandora and a song uses a curse word I switch it. Automatically. Habitually. However, there are other, potentially more dangerous aspects of music that sometimes I allow myself to listen to without thinking much of the consequences. On that day in the truck I felt very distinctly that I would never want to expose Alexa to the very thing I was exposing myself to. Talk about a wake up call.
I have since had this experience with many things I do on a daily basis. Would I want Alexa to watch this scene in this movie? Would I want Alexa to choose what she wears based on these feelings? Would I want Alexa to eat the way I'm eating? I think many would argue that she is just a baby and that she doesn't know any different. And you know what, they'd be right. But when WILL she know?
Although I can barely imagine it I do understand that Alexa will experience heartache, disappointment, pain, trials, exposure, and a variety of other things that I can't control. These things, though painful, are part of being a parent and part of living in a fallen world. However, what I can control to a certain degree is the things she experiences in her home. I want her to have the best shot she can at living the way her Heavenly Father wants her to live.
I think the magnificent thing about purity is the way that it moves. It's like a drop in a pond, a ripple that spreads wider and wider until it gently touches the shore. And then it sits, quietly, beautifully. And there are no words that can describe how perfectly right it feels. It's that moment when we just turn the music off.
