I Blinked...and Three Years Went By

Three.  Years.  Wow.  Time keeps on slippin' slippin' slippin' into the future... you better believe it.  Time and tide, all that. 

Three years ago my life changed dramatically.  I say this not to focus on the past and grieve the losses.  Nope.  I say this to remind myself to be ever conscious of the journey since then; of God's amazing love, His goodness, His faithfulness.

Has it been easy? Ha! No way.  There have been some days that gut-wrenching pain was the only feeling I had.

From school, do you remember the phrase cogito ergo sum?  I think, therefore I am?  I remember one night spending some time figuring out the Latin for "I hurt, therefore I am."  Pretty silly, yes.  But  it gave me peace to fully acknowledge that the pain was threatening to pull me under.

Consider this. By acknowledging the pain, I was able to see that by God's grace I was still hanging in there.  I hurt, therefore I am gave me a good jumping off point to go to God with my pain.  Our lives are a beautiful offering to God, even when all we have to offer is our pain.

Then from that point of acknowledgement, the realization that yes, the pain is so bad, LORD, what a beautiful place for God to find me, love me well (Oh, how He loves us!) and take me to another place of truth.... 2 Cor 4:8-9  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
  
Read those words again.  Let them sink in.  Let them soothe your hurting heart.  We are not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, and not destroyed.  God.  Is.  Faithful.  As Christ-followers, we never ever walk through the pain of life alone.

If you go back to my very first post, I explain how much music means to me, how it speaks to my heart.  Music is one of the most beautiful threads in the fabric of my life.  The soundtrack of my life plays in my head without ceasing.  

Here's what's been in my head these past few weeks.  Sorry Matt Redman, I don't hear you singing it.  I hear Brooke Voland from my church.  Thank you, Brooke, for dedicating your gifts and talents to Kingdom work.  I wish there was a video out there I could link to so you could hear her sing it too.  

But here's a link to Matt singing it...equally awesome.  And lyrics below.  Stand on this. Yes, it's a tough journey.  Awful, at times.  But never once do we ever walk alone.  God is faithful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=722zPX1npcA

"Never Once"

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful