In Awe And Wonder

After a lengthy bout with despair, severe depression, and suicide attempts, writer and poet William Cowper (1731–1800) discovered comfort in God's providence, which led him to write "Shining out of Darkness":

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

Don't you just love a great worship time? That wonderful Godly experience where we feel so connected as one with the Almighty. An experience that brings us to tears and we forget everyone around us.

Those moments are wonderful and ones we need to cherish deep within our hearts to bring forth whenever we have a need to remember that kind of love that only God can provide.

Unfortunately, there are moments also where our minds drifted off somewhere else during the service. I've had moments where I was so very tired that all I could think about was laying down upon arriving home from Church.

I used to feel so ashamed for having moments like that. I would wonder what the poor Pastor was feeling when he saw his congregation's attention wasn't really on him. Here he probably spent majority of his week preparing for this great sermon he was delivering and I'm yawning, because I've worked all night.

I've learned to forgive myself when moments like that happened. You see, not every Sunday sermon will be life changing experience. There will be highs as well as lows in my Christian journey. These dry spells can hide a hidden yearning for higher learning. During those times I may need to learn something about myself and it may not be pretty.

A dear friend kindly reminded me that our God is not a loving God, but also an understanding one. He knows our hearts and He knows when we need to rest. Don't be afraid nor ashamed to rest. We are no good to anyone if we are not in tiptop form.

I hope today everyone had a wonderful moment at Church. I know I did( they played all my favorite songs), but if it wasn't quite what you expected, just remember that someone out there may have needed that experience more than you. Don't lose heart, God loves you no matter if you're jumping up and down with praise for Him or if you're just hiding your yawn.

Have a Happy Sabbath everyone.