As the Praise Goes Up

Just after my miscarriage, a Facebook friend in-boxed me the entire lyrics to a song. Today, as I surfed for praise music on YouTube, I happened upon the song and clicked "play." In a second I was thrown back in time to January of this year and the horrific pain that was, just as other people who have endured tragedy have said, so bad it could be felt physically. Wow. Closed that video pretty quickly. But not before understanding and absorbing one thing: Jesus suffered and he understands what I went through. Hit two television programs back-to-back in which the speaker was mentioning the fact that Jesus prayed all night long. I asked God what he was saying to me. I think the key to reconnecting with God, as I am so desperate to do, is prayer. Lots and lots and lots of it. And (as one of the T.V. pastors pointed out this morning) EMPHATHIZING with Jesus, both his victory and his suffering. Look, he was the God of the universe and he was IGNORED and persecuted by the religious leaders of his day. Maybe the fact that certain people don't speak to me at church, even as they pursue religious activities, should not gall me as much as it everlastingly does. If Jesus loved them all, I, under His power, can too. Another key: forgiveness. This one is really, really hard for me. Well, not so much if the person is seeking my forgiveness. What if they not only are not seeking my forgiveness, but are totally indifferent about it? What if they are continuing to offend and the target is one of my children? What then? What makes me different from the rest of the world? The answer lies therein. I know, however, that I cannot achieve this difference on my own. So out comes my Bible, to renew and transform my mind. Next, I WILL spend time in prayer, drawing close to the sweet, sweet presence of Jesus Christ, clinging to his garments, fellowshipping with the precious Holy Spirit. Last, but certainly not least, I will seek out praise and worship music to regularly feed my soul with the words that lift up my Lord, feeling Him enter my home as the praise goes up.