Devotionals by FamilyLife
Kumba-yee-haw!
By Jim Mitchell
I’m gonna say a phrase and you say what comes to mind. Ready?
Road trip with your family.
[pause and think]
Be honest. You instantly thought, “Everyone laughing with joyful hearts,” “nobody fighting,” and “time flying by so fast we all want to do it again soon.” Right?
No?
Crazy. That’s exactly what comes to my mind.
Seriously. Let me share a simple hack to give your road trips (and marriage) a more harmonious tune.
It’s called the shared playlist, and you gotta try it stat!
Ask each person to pick six to eight favorite songs. Have a teenager build you a playlist (it’ll take her four nanoseconds). Then shuffle and play it randomly as you drive.
My family tried it and the mashup was an immediate hit:
- My vibe: oldy-but-groovy … John Mayer meets Andrew Peterson meets U2 meets Zac Brown Band. Feeling me?
- My wife gave us pop Christian with a twang…Carrie Underwood plus Chris Tomlin plus Patsy Cline. Kumba-yee-haw!
- My daughter delivered the cool and current … [insert names I didn’t know but liked]
- And my son dropped the obscure and eclectic … [insert names I didn’t know, didn’t like]
Somehow this shared playlist created a unifying mix of our distinct personalities and tastes. No one loved every song. Everyone felt heard.
And along the way, I saw a metaphor for my marriage.
Yielding a little air time to one another, receiving a little togetherness in return. Knowing, and being known.
It’s no wonder Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
The Good Stuff: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Action Points: How can you start singing off a shared playlist in your important relationships?
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About FamilyLife Today®
FamilyLife Today® is an award-winning podcast featuring fun, engaging conversations that help families grow together with Jesus while pursuing the relationships that matter most. Hosted by Dave and Ann Wilson, new episodes air every Tuesday and Thursday.
About Dave and Ann Wilson
Dave and Ann have been married for more than 40 years and have spent the last 35 teaching and mentoring couples and parents across the country. They have been featured speakers at FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember® since 1993, and have also hosted their own marriage conferences across the country.
Dave and Ann helped plant Kensington Community Church in Detroit, Michigan where they served together in ministry for more than three decades, wrapping up their time at Kensington in 2020.
The Wilsons are the creative force behind DVD teaching series Rock Your Marriage and The Survival Guide To Parenting, as well as authors of the recently released books Vertical Marriage (Zondervan, 2019) and No Perfect Parents (Zondervan, 2021).
Dave is a graduate of the International School of Theology, where he received a Master of Divinity degree. A Ball State University Hall of Fame Quarterback, Dave served the Detroit Lions as Chaplain for thirty-three years. Ann attended the University of Kentucky. She has been active with Dave in ministry as a speaker, writer, small group leader, and mentor to countless women.
The Wilsons live in the Detroit area. They have three grown sons, CJ, Austin, and Cody, three daughters-in-law, and a growing number of grandchildren.
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