by I listened to Point of Grace’s song You Are Good on repeat today. For over an hour.
The country adventures abound here lately. Oh yeah, I’ve got stories. Mud coming out of all our taps for several days last week. 24 hours without water at all. Dh working till 1 A.M. in “blizzard” conditions installing a new pump and air tank down at our well’s pump house. Getting my eyebrows and hairline singed to frizzles from a too close encounter with our corn stove. Running out of corn for our corn stove on a six degree winter’s night. Having worsening water pressure problems thanks to the dirt-in-our-plumbing experience of earlier last week culminating in our having no hot water to the bathtub, and no cold water to the bathroom sink (?)…the result of which meant tearing into the wall surrounding the bath/shower area. And just like that, we’re in the midst of a mini-remodeling project. Oh, and this morning, the guy delivering a load of corn (at $5.10 a bushel) got stuck twice turning around in my yard. I’ve got ruts the height of Mt. Everest out there, and the whole frustrating process took two hours, not to mention, me and the skid steer couldn’t get the man unstuck. Nope, it took my father in law and hubby, and by that time, I couldn’t feel my face or my fingers.
Whew. I hate to be such a whiner, because I know all too well it could have been much much worse. All my loved ones are intact, body and soul. We have a home. We live in America. God is good.
I recently read Summer by Karen Kingsbury, and in it, she brought up the point that God sometimes speaks to us with a gentle whisper…and I think that when we’re going through hard things, whether they’re just a bunch of annoying little hardships such as I’ve listed above, or real heart-wrenching issues–when we’re going through these things, and consciously decide to accept them and give thanks for them, the Lord honors that sacrifice.
And I think it brings Him great joy to see us looking up despite our circumstances. Every one of the past few days has had its share of “gently whispered” blessings. Some I didn’t even have to look hard to find, while others kind of crept up on me.
Anyway. After the corn delivery, I came in, peeled potatoes for soup and listened to this song (see lyrics below). And tears of joy and pain mingled on their way down my cheeks. (I especially love the fourth stanza down…)
You Are Good
~Point Of Grace~
When the sun starts to rise and I open my eyes, you are good, so good
In the heat of the day with each stone that I lay, you are so good
With every breath I take in, I’ll tell you I’m grateful again
When the moon rises high before each kiss goodnight, you are good
When the road starts to turn, around each bend I’ve learned you are good, so good
And when somebody’s hand holds me up, helps me stand you are so good
With every breath I take in, I’ll tell you I’m grateful again
Cause it’s more than enough just to know I am loved and you are good
So how can I thank you? What can I bring? What can a poor man lay at the feet of the King?
So I’ll sing you a love son, it’s all that I have To tell you I’m grateful for holding my life in your hands
When it’s dark and it’s cold, and I can’t feel my soul you are still good
When the world has gone gray and the rain’s here to stay you are still good
With every breath I take in, I’ll tell you I’m grateful again
And the storm may swell, even then it is well, and you are good
CHORUS
So I’ll sing you a love song, it’s all that I have To tell you I’m grateful for holding my life in your hands
You are holding my life in your hands.
Oh wow, Mary. That sounds like a day that needed to be laced in prayer and well, chocolate! Good for you for seeing that God IS good. Blessings for a better day today!
You had quite the week, Mary! I’m glad to hear you came out on top (no surprise). I enjoy Point of Grace too!
I hope your week goes better. When things start to go wrong it often feels like it goes from bad to worse.
Ah, thanks for the smile, Jana, yes, chocolate was thankfully on hand! Even dh imbibed in some, which is unheard of–he’s not a chocolate person! Today was bathed in grace, couldn’t have been better…just a nice at home day, with school going smoothly, and the girls ever so helpful. Just what I needed!
Thanks, Colleen. Funny, your phrase “coming up on top” made me think of being under water, and finally getting a huge gulpful of oxygen… 😉 Kind of felt that way at one point, but not unbearably so! On Point of Grace, I don’t know how I went this long without them! They are full of great songs, aren’t they? Dh got me this CD for Christmas and I’m wearing it out…
Andrea, I think it all started back on that Saturday that dh spent his only day off fixing the Suburban…after that, you’re right, things did seem to spiral downward. He’s been busily righting all the wrongs these past 2 weeks! It can only go up from here, right? 😉
Thanks, everyone, for your prayers today!
Mary,
It has been one of those weeks for you. I think you are so right on, about how God wants us to love him and praise him when things are bad not just when they are good. Those are the times we can just put our troubles upon his alter, and he will give us the drive to keep going on. I also think, it is easy to appriciate the blessings we still have when a few of them are absent for a while. God is good, and I know he is smiling down upon you and your family, and your praise to him will bless others going through ruff times.
p.s. I love point of grace too!
Mary, I’m with you sister. God is SO Good! How thankful I am that we can always look up, no matter how down life may seem at times. Isn’t praise music wonderful? No matter what I’m going through, music can bring the joy back into my soul.
I hope things are going better for you all now! Now I feel terrible for ranting about my messy house when things could be so much worse. Thank you!
Thank you, Juli, and Elizabeth, and Geri, your love and virtual “hugs” encourage me so much!
If you see this tonight, please pray for my 7 yo, she’s running a fever and feeling quite miserable!
She (and you!) are in my prayers. Hopefully you both won’t be up all night. HUGS!
Thanks, Geri! Hugs right back, so far she’s only been up once since I put her to bed at 8 P.M. She’s still feverish and weak, but sleeping pretty well even w/o Tylenol (thankfully!)…
I’m so thankful for your prayers!
I just got their CD…It’s great! What other one’s do you recommend?
I’m so glad you got it, Geri! It’s full of great songs, my favorite on it is How to Live (Turn Up The Music). I don’t have any of their other CD’s, maybe Colleen and Juli can recommend some others of theirs that are equally good!
Do you have any of Casting Crown’s music? They have some truly awesome songs. My niece mixed me a CD with several of theirs, so I don’t really have a CD title of theirs to recommend, but I doubt you could go wrong!
I’d love to hear other people’s favorite artist/CD titles too!
That’s so funny you say that because when I was reading this I was listening to their samples on christianbook.com!
Well, there you go, it’s meant to be! 😉
Isn’t He amazing? I’m so glad you are relying on Him. Can you even imagine what it would be like to not have that security?
No, I can’t. How blessed we are, I wish everyone understood it like we do.