Worshiping in Our Pain

Some things seem to break without any warning but most seem to crack over time, ever-so-slowly.What begins as a hairline fracture quickly turns into something crippling, if its left unhealed.And like things-this happens to people too.I can't say it was one thing that broke me, because honestly it was much more than that.Because brokenness has a way of worsening over time, if its left undone.And as we're spending these days walking through brokenness like never before we often look at each other and wonder how we're getting through....even though it may be a day, an hour or even a moment we're trying to make it through...and even though things may feel unsteady most of the time we can feel ourselves holding tightly onand even more -we feel held.Like the times...When sorrow tries to steal our joy, when fear tries to threaten our peace or when our bodies seem full of pain-we feel God sweetly sitting beside us.It's the reminders God's been stringing throughout my days that have me resting in his care...it's honestly the beautiful way others are loving us and glorifying God through their own hard struggles.Its people spilling their own brave ink while their life seems to be falling apart. Its about how we're inviting others into our lives to repair what feels so broken and feeling the blessing of being put back together...And friends this is what God's gift of life really is...Its whole lot less about living and resting on top of the hill and so much more about how we walk through the valley.Unlike Humpty Dumpty who couldn't be put back together, we can.Because Jesus did this. Our brokenness gets healed over and over again in Christ..and this is where our hope is resting. Recently as we were gathered around our dinner table a question that's all too familiar to us came up. 'Joe, if they're killing all of your cells, what's going to bring you back to life?'It's a valid question and a familiar one as Joe asked his doctor the very same thing. And the answer is still mind-blowing to me, hard to fathom.The cells will regenerate and rebirth life.You see, often what happens in our world and even in Humpty Dumpty's story there's no valid offer given -so people choose to numb their pain and remain broken. But honestly when the pain feels all too overwhelming or hard I've been hanging onto the truth that it will all be worth it... Because God will walk us out on the other side.And friend,this is true for you too.The valleys we may walk through are not the end of our story. Although all the king's men and all the king's horses couldn't put Humpty back together again...Our King does not leave us broken...OUR KING heals every single one of our broken places. Some here and others in heaven...But he heals all of our brokenness...our broken dreams, our broken bodies, our broken relationships and even our broken families. And this friend, is where we're choosing to place our hope.These broken cells that are needing regenerated continually remind us that life is a fight and it's a costly one. Because it comes with pain and it may even take all we have but it also comes with the beautiful promise of God to be-our strength and our life. And for today we're resting right here...as we continue to chooseWorship Over Worry...I've been learning so much about worship.That worship is lifting our hands up to God in the good but also in the hard.It's letting God know we trust him when fear seems to be building, when life hurts and even when we don't know how it will all work out.It's singing louder when it feels overwhelming and it's calling all of heaven to help us fight this thing.It's our beautiful weapon in the middle of the night and the heat of day because it's what we have to alert heaven that we need their help. So, if you don't know what to do because your anxiety seems too much to bear...join us and sing with all of heaven tonight...fill your empty spaces with worship and you'll find your worry subsiding in the presence of our Savior.Worship Over Worry isn't just something we've found to fill our days, its truly a gift from God...it's our battle cry. And somedays crying out is the best thing we can choose to do...A bonus just because I love you all and appreciate your prayers and support:{The song that's been blessing us this week is 'Turn your eyes Upon Jesus' by Lauren Daigle}