sadness as a form of praise?

 Tuesday, May 10, 2022 (7:26 a.m.)

Holy God,

I love You. Thank You.

Right here I am confessing to feeling sad for another. Lots of others as a matter of fact.

Thank You that I can bring You this sadness as an honest form of praise. Truly. I have the choice. I can trust You to know what’s best overall. Or I can fret. Regret. Rue. Lament.

Lament. Yes! Another form of praise!

Jeremiah’s words of Lamentations “has given us a model for expressing our pain to God. In response to his honest cries, God listened to him and comforted him. In the midst of his agony, Jeremiah found one ray of hope despite the destruction around him - God’s love never ceases” (The Life Recovery Bible Book Introduction).

Reading further, I am absolutely grateful. Truly, completely, while still feeling sad, grateful. Yes Lord! You are in all of this. None of all the hurts of others gets by You unnoticed.

Four Recovery Themes have hope inducing titles. The Importance of Grief. The Pain of Consequence. The Gift of Our Emotions. And Forgiveness - A Way of Life.

Oh most dear and blessed God. How I thank You that we get to be honest with You. We don’t have to pretend to be or feel anything that we don’t. You know us. You love us. And I choose to rest in Your goodness. Your grace. Your glory. And greatness.

I don’t have to figure anything out. I get to be honest, open and willing in bringing all my concerns to You. “Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks (Philippians 4:6 Names of God Bible).

With all that said, I come to You with a heart that is breaking for the hurts and hopes of others. Father, I am asking for healing. Wholeness. Returns of property and peace of mind.

I love You Father. Thank You for accepting our praise in whatever way it is offered up to You.

Teach me more about Your call for me to be ♪Brave♪ A new-to-me song that encourages “honor, integrity, beauty in being who we are.” Isn’t that what You offer us?

Having turned earlier to Isaiah 29:13, I take his words to heart. “And so the Lord says, ‘These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.’” I want my praise and worship of You to be real. Authentic. Honest.

Continue Your work in making me brave Dearest God. Quoting lyrics from the song as though they are being sung by You to me. ♪You can be amazing… Honestly, I wanna see you be brave With what you want to say And let the words fall out… Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live Maybe one of these days you can let the Light in Show Me how big your brave is… Let your words be anything but empty Why don’t you tell them the Truth… I just wanna see you be brave♪

Me too Lord. I wanna see me be brave in trusting and depending on You!

While considering the sadness with which I first approached You, I am feeling encouraged [heartened, brave] as I read of John 4:23-24. “God is not concerned with the externals of religion. Even now God is seeking ‘true worshippers, who will worship the Father in spirit and truth’” (Illustrated Bible Handbook).

Mm, yes Father. Teach me to worship You wholeheartedly. Appreciatively. Honestly. in Spirit and Truth.

Be glorified this day Dearest God. In sickness and in health. Your words to Isaiah (41:13) for the people of Judah speak loudly to me this morning. “I am holding you by your right hand - I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.’”

Do all You must. As only You can. I love You Dearest Lord. I need You. I want You. Thank You. Praise You. In sadness. Doubt. Fear. Countered by “three things [that] last - trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

♪Even in this I will love You Even in this I will trust Even in this You are faithful Even in this You are God Even when I cannot see You Even when I feel so lost Even then You are still faithful Even then You’ll still be God… Still I Will Praise♪

Even when my heart is heavy for others. Still I will praise You. Yes Lord. Make it so. Amen.

(779 words ~ 10:34 a.m.)