Okay–first…if you SCROLL to the very bottom of my blog you can see the number of visitors since I put that little fun counter on it last January. It counts the number of unique visitors per day–and I just saw this little blog that I forget other people read is about to hit it’s 500,000 visitor:). There’s usually about 3,000 readers a day–SO THAT MEANS it’s about to roll over to 500,000 in the next few hours or day! IF YOU JUST HAPPEN to be the 500,000 person to visit my blog–EMAIL ME!!! I have a little happy to send you!!! One of my favorite things will be coming your way:). Isn’t that fun???
Okay–now on a more serious note…
Do you just ever have one of those days??? Well–you would think after celebrating our big February 15th that today would have been just as joyous (if you missed reading yesterday you have to go see my sweetie!) But it was just one of those days where thing after thing after thing. So…I looked up Psalm 43–you know the chapter on “why are you downcast oh my soul”…surely there was an answer there.
I always like to remember to read the BEFORE and the AFTER. The “before” is asking God to please send His light and guide me…and then I will go to worship. But the spirit is still downcast…so what next? The “after”–put your hope in God. For I will YET praise Him, my Savior – my God.
The key word there is YET.
I can not wait until my spirit feels like rejoicing or worshipping. I can’t wait to put my hope and trust in Him when my spirit is jumping for joy. On days especially like today–I need to put my hope in God BEFORE the spirit is there. And some times it will be among hard, crazy things in this stay-at-home mommies world…of forgetting to make 2 dozen lemon squares for a teacher appreciation party, rushing to the minute-clinic with a little one who had a fever and waiting 2 hours to finally get a turn but sealed lips keep the visit from being productive–and a wasted 2 hours in this momma’s world is no laughing matter, and it’s bed time and nothing got accomplished today. While I have a million things to celebrate–there are just days that you have that funk of a cloud hovering over you–and YET…YET…YET—I need to remember the “after”…the YET…STILL…even then–close my eyes and say, “I’m putting my hope for this day in YOU.”
As I read on I land and park on Psalm 46…(before you read–ever wonder what it means in Psalms when you see the term SELAH sprinked at the end or in the margin here and there? It is a Hebrew term that means “stop and listen/stop and think”. As you read this Psalm–take a moment when you see the term SELAH and see what it might be that speaks to your heart before moving on. You may want to reread and reread and stop and think before moving on…)
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shieldsb with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Something in this chapter…especially as it is written twice and followed in the middle by SELAH…tells me God really wants us to know Him and see Him as our fortress. What does that mean to you?
Goodness folks–you just never know what you are going to get on this blog do you??? A give away…or crazy news…or pictures of our silly kids…or a craft…or scripture with serious questions! I love you guys for being friends with me and loving me dispite my being all over the place! But maybe some of you like never knowing what to expect!
by admin
Oh how I loved your post yesterday and how I love it today too! Thanks for sharing the struggles and frustrations along with the victories! And I LOVE God moments when the scripture I’ve been pondering and just blogged about is the same scripture on your heart!!
Thanks so much for this one. It seems I’ve been having this type of day more often than not lately. Thank you for sharing your day and explaining Psalm 46 a little more clearly. I’ll be carrying it with me today…and hopefully on and on.
I love reading your blog and have only been a follower for a few weeks. I’m not an adopting momma…YET. I’m praying God can help my husband work through the details in his oh-so-cautious brain. My heart is there-and has been for a long time. Where is the psalm on patience??? Hee Hee. Thanks again, congrats on 500,000 and your kids are super adorable! ~Kristi
Yep, you are definitely a “river whose streams make glad the city of God.” You are constantly using opportunities to share His praise. Praying for today to be a better day! Oh, and you have to check out Ann Voskamp’s new book, One Thousand Gifts, if you have not. Beautiful, encouraging, challenging, but simple read if you fit in one chapter a week and take time to just really reflect on it. It’s all about how “thanksgiving (eucharisteo) always precedes the miracle.” SOOOOOOOO good. And the (in)courage blog is doing videos with her over every chapter right now. I think every busy mama who has so much in the “here and now” that seems mundane and stressful sometimes will appreciate this book! 🙂
I love this…probably b/c that is how so many of us feel…great and thankful, attacked, blessed, serious, silly, organized, out of control, and so on!!!! A day in the life! I love how you CONTINUALLY turn and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!
I missed being the 500,000 reader by only 551!!! LOL. After my day yesterday (blogged), Psalm 46 was perfect – more than you can imagine. =)