A song of sorrow to a psalm of praise

A few nights ago I was really struggling with discouragement over something one of my children was going through that seemed mighty unfair. Now, with the perspective that time so often brings, it seems totally foolish, but at the time, my thoughts were filled with discouragement and frustration. And you know how good we women are at taking a thought and turning and twisting it over and over in our anxious minds so that we are robbed of perspective and joy and wisdom. I went from discouragement over that to dredging up in my mind all the other things I thought I should be worrying about, all the things I was doing wrong, and then plummeting to self-pity and sorrow over missing my dear parents (who have gone home to be with the Lord)....and on and on. Suffice it to say, I went to bed with a very heavy heart.

Mother Teresa once said all our troubles come from looking around rather than up. How true. And there is no better or surer recipe for discouragement and defeat than focusing upon yourself and your circumstances. It's also true that being wrapped up in yourself makes for a very small package!

Early the next morning, I prayed, but still with a heavy and anxious heart. After everyone had left for school, I trudged up the stairs to get the dirty clothes and clean up everyone's messy rooms (a source of great frustration for me the night before). I turned on the radio as I gathered up the clothes and just at that moment, "Revelation Song" began. I don't think words can begin to express what happened, but it was if the Lord pulled back the veil of heaven for just a few moments and I saw the tiniest glimpse of my Savior--and it was utterly overwhelming. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy is He. Sing a new song, to Him who sits on heaven's mercy seat." The chorus went on, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. With all creation I sing, Praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything, and I will adore You!"

By now I was down on my knees, weeping tears of joy and wonder, as I caught just a whiff of the glories of heaven and of our Heavenly Savior. "Clothed in rainbows, of living color. Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder. Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be, to You the Only Wise King...Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder at the mention of Your Name. Jesus, Your Name is power, Breath, and Living Water, such a marvelous mystery. Holy, holy holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come. With all creation I sing, Praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything and I will adore You!"

I was overcome with who my Savior is and what He had done. Overcome with the promise of eternity. Overcome with the shame of terrible attitude the night before--I was focused and upset over a little speck of nothingness on a millisecond of time when compared to the infinite worthiness of the Lamb who was slain who we'd be rejoicing over and with for all of eternity in His perfect, glorious Kingdom!

Well, I picked up those dirty clothes and cleaned those rooms with overflowing joy! I came downstairs a totally different woman than the one who had trudged up there a few minutes earlier--worship will do that to you. Have you spent time this week, this day glimpsing the Savior? He is right there waiting to reveal Himself to you in His Word and in your worship, for He loves to come in and transform those hard, dark places in each of our lives--indeed, that is where His glory and greatness and grace shine the brightest. So many of us are struggling with such challenging and even desperate circumstances--seriously ill loved ones, marriages falling apart, prodigal children, teetering finances--but can we put it all in the light of the Savior and eternity? When we choose to praise Him--even in the midst of pain or rejection or betrayal or despair--we will behold Him and know Him and love Him in a whole new and deeper way.

What will you, what will I, think of this challenge or problem or misunderstanding 1000 years from now? Sometimes we need to stop in the midst of whatever we are going through and put on our 1000 year glasses. When we look through those lenses of time, much of what we are enduring right now recedes into the proper perspective. And we will find ourselves replacing a song of sorrow with a psalm of praise to the King of Kings, the Lord God Almighty, the Only Wise King, the Living Water, the Lamb who was slain--for you and for me. O might we breathe your glorious Name with wonder and awe, Lord Jesus, for it is Power!

He truly does make all things new.

O, and by the way, at the end of my room cleaning worship service, the Lord gently whispered into my ear: "And Emily, those parents you were missing and wanting to talk to so badly?...you'll see them again." Thank You Jesus. To You be all the glory!