Hallelujah

I had two heavy visits yesterday.   

Somehow the same song was playing on the radio as I left each location. 
I believe that God specifically curates what I hear from the local radio channel 😇, and I am claiming this as my anthem this week:

"That's the Thing About Praise" by Benjamin William Hastings ft. Blessing Offor.  

The lyrics of the song remind us that no matter the situation, praising God is essential.  We sing, "Hallelujah" despite the heartache.  Our circumstances may not change but praising God keeps our situation in perspective.  Perhaps Praise is our best medicine.

Take a listen:

"That's The Thing About Praise"

When the rain you want, is a flood instead
And the roses bloom, but they're not quite red
And when I reach the edge of my bravery
I'll still be singin' at the banks of an un-parted sea

Sometimes the only way through it is a hallelujah
Sometimes the only thing to do is just to give it to You
And though my troubles shake me
I know they will never move You
Sometimes the only way through it is a hallelujah
That's why I say hallelujah
Hallelujah

There's what I want and then there's where I'm at
Every one step forward, it got me five steps back
And I cried, I called, God knows I prayed
But most days faith is climbin' up a mountain that stayed

It don't always fix your problems
But it'll tell you how small they are
That's the thing about praise

It won't always move the mountain
But it's good for the heart
That's the thing about praise

You'll never know what it's gonna change
But it'll always leave a mark
That's the thing about praise

Yeah, I might see walls start fallin'
Or it might just change my heart

That's why I say hallelujah 
Hallelujah

breathe

 I feel like I have managed to get my feet underneath me this past month.   In my quiet times, I have thought a lot about how I let the initial crisis with Dad drown me.  My demeanor was consumed with worry and doubt.    How quickly I forgot God's faithfulness. 
Looking back, I realize that I spent a month of my life not fully trusting God to work in our family situation.  And now that things have "settled" a bit, I keep reminding myself that God has consistently turned turmoil into peace throughout my life.  Over and over I've seen him work.   It's something I need to remind myself of, daily.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 

I know this to be true. 

My Dad's situation is far from resolved on this side of heaven.   I often wake in the mornings thinking about Dad's condition, knowing that there isn't much I can do other than spend time with him and appreciate our moments together.  

Greg and I will both have parents receiving hospice services, as of this week.   
It's a lot.  Death and dying are becoming such a huge part of our household vocabulary.   
Talks about aging parents, and the death of parents, have become conversation topics, and sad realities, among my friend groups.   
It feels like a tough stage of life we are in. 

Ultimately I know that "this too shall pass".  And I look for solace in the fact that God has ordained all of our minutes.

I hope that working at the funeral home hasn't made me callous.   I have come to grips with the normalcy of death.  We're all dying;  Just some sooner than others.
If we have a faith in Christ.... it's not the end.   We need to really believe that.   This heartache is only temporary. 

I keep reminding myself to enjoy the moments..... to LIVE while I'm alive.
I want to fully trust that God is working.   The celebrations of life and the realities of our deaths are all in his hands.   
I'm reminding myself to calm down, give my worries to God, and just breathe. 
God's promises are true.  

All of this song........💕  (You've Already Won by Shane and Shane)