If you weren’t sold on the “stop spinning” exercise derived from a Michael Beckwith concept mentioned the last couple of posts, that same message can be enjoyed in simple musical terms. The song “Be here, now” by Ray LaMontagne is one of my favorites.

As a lover of live music I came close to seeing Ray play while in Portland, Maine about 5 years ago. I was on a “no agenda” trip with my then husband, and our travels fell into that one week or so of the year that we left Zach in many capable hands with the goal of “unplugging.” We literally had one hotel reservation for the day we landed, and would make decisions in the moment, about what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go next.

When our schedules are completely rigid and our time calendared out by the thirty minute block for weeks and months on end, having a “no agenda” trip can seem like a great idea. “Hurry up and relax…” is the theme. But like most things, this too requires practice. I can remember feeling completely lost on these annual “vacations” (we tried to get a few days away, at least once a year – no wonder we weren’t good at it!) It seems like an oasis, but can also feel completely unfamiliar.

Back to Ray LaMontagne, we strolled down the streets of Portland and saw that he was coming to play that following weekend. Maybe with a plan, we would have made that an anchor of our schedule, but since we were no-agenda-ing it, we missed him. I enjoy his music and especially this song.

“Be Here, Now” runs 6+ minutes, and much like the theme of “stop spinning” also delivers the message of the value in being still. It is a slow, melodious invitation to look inward for peace. The song is about faith and trust, and the importance of where we place these. Specifically, it reminds us to be mindful of where we look for strength.

If you are so inspired, check it out on your favorite music app, or see if the below lyrics resonate. The song is, in and of itself a meditation and worth listening to if you are trying to re-center. If you’re not inspired to listen, just know that the theme of stillness shows up again and again over 100s of years, whether through poetry, ministry, music and many other mediums.

The magic is not in the vehicle of delivery, but in the message itself. As we noted a couple months ago in a quote from Tyler Perry “Be still and your gifts will find you.” (3/16/21)

See if you can find some stillness today…

Be Here Now Song by Ray LaMontagne, Lyrics

Don’t let your mind get weary
And confused your will be still, don’t try
Don’t let your heart get heavy
Child, inside you there’s a strength that lies (lies)

Don’t let your soul get lonely
Child, it’s only time, it will go by
Don’t look for love in faces, places
It’s in you that’s where you’ll find kindness

Be here now, be here now
Be, be here now, be here now

Don’t lose your faith in me
And I will try not to lose faith in you
Don’t put your trust in walls
‘Cause walls will only crush you when they fall

Be, be here now, be here now
Be, be here now, be here now