When the Darkness closes in Lord, Still I will say......

.....Blessed be your name!!!


In today's world, every time we turn on the TV something new and horrific has happened. Recently the storms in Oklahoma, continued war, people losing their jobs, shootings, bombings, you name it is has prolly happened in the past year. And yet I smiles.

You see the other day I was driving in my car with the windows down and jamming out to one of my many burned CDs. I was singing along with this song came on.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful 
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out 
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering 
Though there's pain in the offering 
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out 
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Look at the lyrics and think about it. Yes stuff happens in this world that makes us want to turn away from Christ and from God but isn't that part of the journey. Even when there is suffering and pain we should praise Him and love Him. 

Now I know that it is hard to do this and it is difficult to love a God that allows so much pain and hurt in this world. But I really don't think that he is the cause of it.....what the heck am I talking about, well I will tell you. 

A few years ago, I experienced hurt and pain that I hope no one has to go through, and I honestly turned away from the church, my faith, and Christ. And I will admit that in that time my life was dark, something was missing. Things that brought me joy, now just brought me pain. I would have moments in the car where all I could do was cry. I questioned my calling in life. And I ultimately questioned who I was. I found myself settling in relationships, not caring what others thought, and becoming a royal bee-otch to those that I loved. 

After going along this path for a while, I met a priest that showed me the way back to the church and back to Christ and it was at this moment that I had a huge epiphany. Once I placed God back in my life, while the pain was still there, it suddenly became bearable. I walked with a smile on my face, I loved life, and I realized that even in the bad times He is still the Great I AM, He is the one that will never give me more then I can bear, and He is the one that loves me enough to carry me when I am weak and unsure of my ability to go on. 

God never promised that we wouldn't feel hurt, or fear, or pain, or suffering.....however he did promise to see us through all the bad until the day that we have Eternal Life in his glorious kingdom. The amazing thing is that even with pain, when you have Christ on your side the sun shines a little brighter, the grass is a little greener, the sky becomes a little bluer, and life becomes a glorious and beautiful journey towards what is to come. 

I have a story for you......

One day a caterpillar was walking through the leaves and the grass. He looked around and saw that everywhere in his little world was pain and destruction. The other caterpillar saw what he and his friends were doing, there was holes in everything from them eating, some caterpillars were crying because they were missing loved ones, they would say that climbed up the tree and never returned. The caterpillar became scared because he knew one day he too would have to climb up the tree but he loved his life on the ground and didn't want to see what the other side was about. He moved around slowly, fearing what was to come, he lost friends who went up the tree, and he cried for them. One day however, when the caterpillar was old, he started his journey up the tree. He was tired and was ready for things to be over. When he reached the top we wrapped himself up tightly and was ready for it all to be over. Days later, something happened, the caterpillar started to emerge from his safe home. He looked around and saw the amazing colorful wings on his back. He was astonished at what he saw. And as he took off for his first flight, he looked down at what was once his home and he smiled, what was once pain and destruction in his eyes had become a beautiful meadow full or green grass and wildflowers. He had made it through the pain and was blessed with the beauty that can only be seen in the skies above. 

Are we not little caterpillars in this world. The thing is we can continue to praise God and praise Jesus knowing that what we experience here is short term. YEs it hurts badly, but the beauty will show itself in due time and it will be glorious. 

In conclusion I just want to say this. 

To all those that lost loved ones, lost homes, and ultimately lost everything they have in Oklahoma. My prayers and I believe the prayers of all those reading this are with you. God be with you in this time. God be with the volunteers helping search for people and cleaning up. God be with the emergency response team as they work through the night. God be with those in pain and help them realize that the pain will go away slowly but that with you it is possible. God let them feel our love, let them feel your loving embrace, and let them know that they are not alone! 

AMEN 

God Bless