I received a Mercy River album and Deseret Book gift card in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
I love listening to music, but sometimes I hesitate with some of the stations I might normally choose because I know there will be a few popular songs they play that are filed with language or inappropriate lyrics. Most of the time, I settle on the Christian radio station because I know they play uplifting songs and share encouraging stories.
In Mercy River’s album Come Alive, they shared an analogy that I thought was really cool that explains how they feel about the music they create and music in general. They shared the fable of the Greek sailors and many lost ships that were lured in by tempting music that ensnared them into a trap and cost them their lives. Orpheus, in order to avoid the same fate, decided to play his own music so loud as to drown out the sound of the tempting music as he passed and was able to safely sail to his destination. Isn’t it so true that we are often swept up into trends and music of this day often not even realizing what is happening? I know I catch myself singing along only to stop and consider the lyrics I now know by heart but had not really stopped to listen to the story I was singing and the message that song was sharing. I’ve sang my heart out to tunes of adultery, betrayal, murder, and other storylines not even realizing what the message was beyond the catchy chorus line.
It’s moments like that that make me choose clean and wholesome music whenever I can. Mercy River has that exact goal – to make beautiful uplifting music that can have a positive impact on your day. I really enjoyed listening to their album and recognized a few of the songs right away like “Speak Life”. My favorite song ended up being a song I had not heard before called, “Who I Am”. It shares a message that we are beautiful created and children of God with a purpose here on earth. It is a song I feel good singing along to and reminding not only myself but my children of that message to remember our divine importance and keeping a positive self-worth.
This makes Mercy River albums a perfect and inexpensive gift for Mother’s Day this year. Their albums are available at Deseret Book both locally and online. You can also find their albums available on iTunes.