Praise while it hurts

Has something ever happened to you, and you just can't believe it is your life? I'm not talking good things, but unwanted circumstances. A broken heart. A death. Cancer. Something that will impact your life for the rest of your life. Questions start to swirl around in your head; why did this happen? What comes next? How do I move on from this? Will I ever be able to move on? Did God make this happen???

When we go through extremely difficult times, it can be very hard to lift our head up and still say, "Thank you, God, for this day." I want to give you permission to grieve and get mad. God CAN handle that. He will meet us in our place of desperation. He wants nothing more than to comfort us.

When shocking news throws us off kilter, it is very easy to go down in the dark. And quite simply, it is justified. No one will blame you or say you are being dramatic. I'm talking when it is happening directly to you. Not someone you know, or what is on the news. You. Your life. The kind of news that hits you in the gut, catches you totally off guard. It is horrible. Surreal.

So how am I supposed to praise Him when I am experiencing this in my life? I know it is not easy. But praise does not have to be jumping for joy, singing at the top of your lungs, being so thankful for every circumstance. Praise can be a simple utterance, a recognition that God is near, despite what you are going through. Praise is knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 You never know how the “good” in that verse will look like, but holding tight to His truth and believing something can come out of it for His glory, that is praise.

In fact, in times like these, praise is crucial. When we lean in to Him, we find a strength we never knew could exist. When we simply say, “I glorify Your name as I go through this,” we allow Him to take over. We can be overcome with joy in the midst of adversity. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Godly joy is different than the joy of our culture. It is a deep, soul filling experience. It bubbles up when you least expect it.

Consider Job. He was a wealthy man with good character, and he loved God. He suddenly lost his entire flock of sheep, donkeys, camels, oxen, the servants, and all of his sons and daughters. He fell to his knees to mourn, and he said,

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:22

In Job’s story, Satan was testing Job’s faithfulness to God (with the approval of God). While this is not always the case for us today, Satan surely does want to break apart your faith when bad things are happening to you. He certainly wants to make things more difficult, discouraging, and despairing for you. When we praise God in the middle of our suffering, it chokes Satan’s grip and shows him who you trust. He has to let go. He has to leave. God has ultimate authority- and Satan knows it.

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Job 1:9-12

This shows us that Satan can do nothing without God’s permission. Therefore, we can overcome his attacks as God’s people. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things are happening to us. This was Job’s difficulty; he could not understand why. But still he held on, knowing God is good.

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:7-10

We can also feel like God makes bad things happen. Or why does God allow it to happen? The simple, yet hard to understand answer, is that sin entered the world. We live in a fallen world. Even the Earth itself falls prey to sin. God does not cause bad things to happen, but He can and will use bad circumstances to show His ultimate glory. That simply means your acts of faith- praising Him- during these hard times can be used to show His ultimate love for us.

Put it into practice:

The Psalms are a good place to turn when you’re experiencing hurt and need to praise. Let the words of the Bible fill your mind and your lips. King David (who wrote most of the psalms) sure had tumultuous times; always having armies against him, letting lust cloud his judgement…but he always turned to God and praised Him. He loved God deeply, and knew God was there to hear him, despite his shortcomings.

I particularly like Psalm 100. It is short enough to memorize, and capitalizes on praising God. We don’t have to feel every ounce of the thankfulness, but as we repeat these words over and over, God shifts our hearts. He hears our cries and catches our tears. He replaces our despair with His joy, His peace. His peace is what enables us to be able to continue forward.

This is also a good time to listen to praise music. It fills your mind with truth. As you sing along, even in your head, you are praising God. I love Lauren Daigle and her song, Everything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URFOBc69xig

Even the sparrow has a place to lay its head So why would I let worries steal my breath?

Sometimes it helps to focus on something completely different. There is a reason meditation is on the rise, and more health professionals are in favor of it. When I meditate, I focus on God’s love and goodness.

Go outside and sit. Look at a tree. Notice its green leaves. Notice the one leaf as it falls to the ground. Watch it fall all the way. Hear the birds chirping. Try to find them in the trees. Notice the rhythm of their song. Pick up one of the leaves. Notice its shape, coloring, detail. Close your eyes. Breathe in the fresh air. In your exhale say, “Thank you God, for your beautiful gifts. I praise Your name, knowing You meet me where I need.” It can help to just get outside and walk, noticing these things as you move your body.

Find a hobby. I've recently gotten into sewing. Some projects I've done have surprised me with how much I enjoyed them. What I thought would be tedious and boring were actually what helped me focus on something else and zen out. This is another way to focus on something completely different.

Watch for the little gifts God drops in front of you each day. Maybe nature speaks to you. Look for beautiful acts of nature- a bald eagle flying over, a bright red cardinal sitting in the tree. Maybe music speaks to you- listen for amazing lyrics that give you encouragement. Maybe plants speak to you. Go get a plant, nurture it, and watch it grow. When I was really deep in the dark years ago, as I started to notice this, I started to look up. It was the middle of October; I couldn’t believe how brilliantly orange the trees were, how beautiful it was. I hadn’t even noticed it.

No matter what comes in my path, I feel joy watching the birds fly by, the hummingbird sitting on a perch in front of me, the great blue heron perching in a tree (I didn’t know they did that?!), hearing my children laugh, knowing my God is watching out for me. Because He loves me, and He loves you.

**If you are still really struggling, please consider reaching out. God also created professionals to help, because He knows we need relationships not only with each other, but with those that are trained in what to do. Call a grief hotline, find a counselor, or talk to your doctor. Sometimes, social media groups can really be helpful. Consider this your sign if you needed one. I always needed one. :) <3 You can still seek medical help and talk to God. Also, join a lifegroup/small group at your local church, even if you’re not a member of that church. The good ones don’t care- they just care that you are there. I can’t stress this enough!!! I am part of a women’s group- have been in several since 2015, and it changes things. You can walk through life with people right next to you, praying for you, and guiding you.

Everything; Written by Lauren Daigle, Paul Mabury, Jason Ingram; Performed by Lauren Daigle: Courtesy of Centricity Music.

Provided to YouTube by Centricity Music/Warner Records