Of course I realize this is a Tuesday, but who really can keep track of time during this pandemic. Anyway, I'm committing to the "Music Mondays" bit even though it's been months since I did one of these entries.
Martin's Deli has been my back-up office pretty much since I became a pastor. The supermarket opened maybe 9 years ago and it's deli food was instantly a hit with me and my peer group at the time. When the Lord called me to Milford in 2013 - but didn't call us to move out of Winona Lake - Martin's proved to be a good alternative if weather or lunch meetings or other things made it inconvenient to drive 25 minutes to the office. Between the salad bar, grill, donuts, coffee, and ample seating Martin's is perfect for someone like me. I'm definitely not the only one of course, as more often than not I'll run into other pastors or friends who use this place to study or meet with people.
So all that said, I feel like I have built up enough experience in the deli to write this post. Unless you have your own earbuds to cue up your own music, you will eventually notice that the store plays satellite radio tuned to pop music hits.
Here are the three songs you're bound to hear if you stay for any extended amount of time.
Taylor Swift "Blank Space"
There's a bunch of Ms. Swift's hits that get played. For some reason, this one feels like it's on the very-regular rotation. It's distinctive beat always seems to break my concentration and grab my attention too.
OneRepublic - "Counting Stars"
This group also has several hits that get featured on whatever channel Martin's is playing. I'm not complaining, I have a couple of their singles on my iPod (yes those still exist). This is not one of them. And it always makes me want to finish what I'm doing quickly. Maybe Martin's should reconsider letting this play to keep their customers in their facility for longer...ok I'm way overanalyzing this.
Katy Perry -"Unconditionally"
Can I tell you a secret? I look forward to hearing this one. It is a banger as they say (or used to say). Great vocals and lyrical content that I can actually line up with Scriptural principles about love. And I'm not too proud to admit I've looked up the song on YouTube after hearing it as I worked in my booth or at my table.
And irony of ironies, as I began to write this, I realized this exact song was playing. That's just too weird.
There would be some honorable mentions like Maroon 5, Christina Perri, and Ed Sheeran. But these three for sure will get some play if you ever spend a couple hours reading, hanging out with friends, or eating lunch at our fine Martin's Deli establishment.
