“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll…whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well, with my soul.” Can you hear it? This hymn resounds throughout the years with words that bring truth. The beauty of the melody and the healing of the words are paired up in such a way that moves our souls.
The husband of a dear friend just passed to glory. I’m sitting here thinking of the journey of life and how God watches us the whole way.
Life goes by so fast. When I was young, I remember hearing my grandparents tell me that the older you get the faster time flies. I always laughed when I heard that. At the time it seemed like forever for things to happen: Christmas, birthdays, summer, being old enough to drive, the list goes on and on. But Granny and Papa Foy were right. The older I get the faster things seem to happen…why, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and it feels as though it was Christmas only yesterday. Didn’t I just get that tree put away in the attic? Why, it’s almost Easter!
It all whizzes by and then we’re faced with losing the ones we love as they pass into glory. No one is ever ready for such a thing, but as time goes by, well, here it comes. It is an extreme comfort to know that our Lord holds all things. He welcomes His children home every day that rolls around. What would we do without Jesus? I don’t want to know; and praise His Name, I won’t have to know. If you know Him personally, you won’t have to know, either.
Whatever comes our way we know that The Spirit will hold us, guide us, and give us everything we need as we focus on Him. Our Father knows how we feel when we lose a loved one because He allowed His Son to die. He knows how it feels on a deeper level than we ever could because He had to turn His back on the sin that Jesus was bearing for us. I think that this fact was, for Jesus, way worse than nails, thorns, and the cross. God totally gets it, of course, and for that I’m thankful because He can reach into the deepest places in our souls and bring healing to parts that we don’t even know exist within us. He knows how to bring joy in the middle of deep sorrow and hard tears.
This is what I call “singing in the dark.” The Spirit of God teaches us how to sing in the dark places of our lives. This is a hard lesson to learn but as we follow in step with Christ, we learn it better, and along the way we find great comfort. Guess what? There is healing in praise.
Whether you have lost a loved one, are in the depths of depression, or in a very low place in your life, you can be assured that learning how to sing in the dark will be a comfort. Allow The Spirit inside your pain. It’s when you learn how to sing in the dark that singing in the light will take on new meaning. In time, the joy of The Spirit will come upon you and make your insides glow. That glow? It’s pure Jesus. Pure love.
Scripture to ponder: Acts 16:22-34
Your weapon for today: “Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.” Psalm 63:7