I Will Praise You In This Storm

So much sickness surrounds me and my family. We are struggling financially and have lost loved ones, friends, and family members. Our family has so many unspoken requests that God knows about. Needs, heartache, children, safety, all of which can be overwhelming and I have to be reminded to praise him during the rough patches. I think its easy to say "thank you" when things are going well, but it takes more effort on my part to say "thank you for this day" even when it goes like this:

You woke up late because your alarm didn't go off and then on your way to the bathroom to take a shower, you step in a pile of cat vomit - oh great his hair ball treatment is working; thank God for that. After rushing through one end of the shower and out the other, hoping to get the important parts clean, you grab a cup of coffee and run out the door.  A car pulls out in front of you and there it goes -- your morning coffee in your passenger's side floor board and you just cleaned your car - at least it'll be new dirt eh? While you are drabbing the scalding hot coffee with napkins, the cheap taco bell napkins that bead up and shred and get the little fibers in the carpet, you run a redlight  - not just any redlight, one of the new high-tech photo finish digital "we will mail you your ticket" cameras, and then of course you got to work late and then your boss hands you something that was needed "yesterday" and you feel like you're chasing your tail all day.  You finally get a minute for a break and then you realize your lunch that you packed today, you left it on the counter. The daily banter continues and you are seemingly doing someone else's job all day long and every problem you encounter, magically no one takes accountability for and to top it off, every single person that you speak with (either on the phone or in person) is in a bad mood and has a chip on their shoulder. You finally get to go home for the day after fighting through the 5 o'clock traffic to get there and, you come home to your dog so excited to see you and you're glad that someone is glad to see you too, until you notice that your dog tore up your house while you were gone. You finish getting that all cleaned up and the door opens and your spouse is home. You anticipate the first words that you will hear out of their mouth to be "hello, good to see you -- how was your day?" and boy do you have something to tell them and instead -- its "what's for dinner?"  Dinner? Are you serious?  After eating a PBJ, you grab the remote and attempt to veg on the couch and watch TV but alas, there isn't a thing on.  You finally go put on your jammies and get into your nice comfy bed and get ready to take your medicine and then realize you forgot to refill your prescription and the pharmacy is closed and you're going to be out of something you really need.

Yes one of "those" days -- you've had one; if you're like me, you've had many. You might have even had one today. Sometimes bad things happen and I cannot for the life of me make any sense out of the situation or find any solid justification as to why something ended up the way it did. But one thing I have learned is that every encounter with another person is an opportunity to change a life, either yours or theirs.  In every situation, there is a lesson to be learned, either for you or for the other person. I believe good leaders can be led and good teachers can be taught. I don't know what this storm is supposed to teach me, but I want to be willing and open to learn. We must remember that praise is not just for the good things. The commitment he made to us is the ultimate set of vows: In sickness and in health, richer or poorer, weakness and in strength, better or worse, whole or broken; the list could go on and on.



I Will Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus:]
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus]

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth