When Tough Times Hit

I love my worship music!!  Our whole family does… But I’m the one at home most of the time while the kids and husband are in school/college, so I have the opportunity to play it the most…​ And I have to say that it feeds my spirit and my soul when-

ever I do!  For me, it’s like the air I breathe… it touches every

part of me, regenerates every part of me… It’s a lifeline to Heaven for me!
 
As I wrote the other day about the extreme physical pain I’m in, I wanted to share a song that lifts me up during those times when the pain in unbearable.   It is this one by ‘for King & Country’ called Shoulders. 
 
We were so fortunate to see them live at PraiseFest 2016 this summer – their first time ever performing in Canada (they were awesome by the way!!).  While this song has always reached me, the Smallbone brothers explained the how it came about and that was while one of them was gravely ill and fighting for his life a few years ago. 
 
Imagine being in that kind of a situation… a life threatening situation where you literally just don’t know what is going to happen or if you’re going to make it.  I don’t know about you, but it certainly puts my physical pain in a whole new perspective for me! 
 
But also think of the incredible things that have come out of that dark season they were in… Incredible music that reaches and relates to people!  If the Smallbone brothers had not gone through that season, this music and several other songs of theirs would not have been written and we would not be blessed by it.
 
So, I have a couple of points to make…
 
Goodness does indeed come from dark experiences for those who love God!  No matter what I am going through physically right now, and no matter what you are facing right now, God DOES work all things for the good of those who love Him.  He promises us that in Romans 8:28.  TRUST Him!! 
 
The place we are in right now is temporary… it’s a season or a ‘meantime’ place (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  It isn’t going to last forever!   We are either at the precipice of going home to Heaven or at the door of Grace enabling us to walk through a season and increase the legacy we leave and give even more glory to God. 
 
Our perspective of things, of life, of our circumstances, can seem so unbearably bleak when we are in the midst of them.  When our pain, whether it is emotional or physical, is at its highest level, and we can see no light, no reprieve, no respite from it all… there is one place that we absolutely need to go to!  And that is into the arms of our loving Father in Heaven!!  Nothing and no one can replace or replicate God’s love, care and compassion for us!! 
 
For me, worship music instantly takes me there!!
 
There are times when I just have to lay as flat as I possibly can in order for the pain in my body to subside.  In that position it is impossible for me to hold a book above my head and read.  My only choice is to listen to something, and my first choice is worship music.  My second choices would be an audio book or audio Bible or podcast… but when I listen to those, I always want to take notes (sometimes it can take me 2 hours to get through a 30 minute podcast because of my fervent note taking lol).

Having God's Word imprinted on your soul is awesome too!!  Psalm 37:39 says: But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And of course, Psalm 121 (all of it!). I desperately try to cling to Matthew 11:28, and other uplifting, positive scriptures too (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 4:23, Ephesians 2:10 and 3:20 etc), when I'm in pain.  But I have to say that clinging to the scriptures I've sunk into myself over time doesn't really do it for me when the pain is raging.  I completely get how pain of any kind hampers our focus and our thinking!  Another reason why worship music just takes it all away... I can just sing or pray or meditate on the words... it all reaches God's ears and indeed my own spirit!

In this ‘meantime’ season… regardless of how bleak or unbearable your circumstances may seem… look to the mountains, to the One who created the mountains.  Do whatever you can, in whatever way you are able to, to find strength in God.  It is in His arms we need to be during times like this.  Rest on His shoulders… however that looks for you and by whatever means works best for you.  Feel no fear because He IS there with you.  He IS lifting you up on His shoulders! 

You are in my prayers!  Cling to God!  There is a reason for this season… Be blessed by it and be a blessing through it!  You ARE loved!