Musings at Altitude

The world seems to be spinning faster now, with more challenges, more burdens, more travels, more things to ponder, more relationships to work on, and more prayers to be raised.  Even worse, the challenges seem tougher today.  The burdens seem heavier.  The things to ponder seem so much more intense now.  And then on top of that come challenges in relationships and pain in the lives of those I know and love.

So today, I did what I always do when I have so many things to ponder, so many burdens to bear, and so many challenges to sort through:

I opened the window in my office, lit the candle, turned on my iPod and shuffled through my favorite Christian songs as I felt the gentle breeze, appreciated the sunshine, and listened for all the sounds coming from God’s wonderful creation and the words coming from those songs.

As I listened to the music, I was reminded by Casting Crowns that, “Lord I lift my friend to you; I’ve done all that I know to do; I lift my friend to you”.  By Amy Grant, I was reminded that, “All I ever have to be [Lord] is what you made me.”  And then Natalie Grant reminded me, “this is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was, when everything fell, we’d be held.” 

And the songs just kept coming.  Jaci Velasquez told me, “so I’m gonna lay it down, I’m gonna learn to trust you now; what else can I do, everything I am depends on you.”  Ray Boltz told me, “but in every situation God gave blessed consolation that my trials come to only make me strong.”  He went on to sing, “I thank God for the mountains, I thank him for the valleys, I thank him for the storms he brought me through; for if I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”  And then Jaci Velasquez sang, “I get on my knees, there I am before the love that changes me; see, I don’t know how, but there’s power when I’m on my knees.”

And more reminders came.  Nichole Nordeman sang, “the way it always was is no longer good enough, you make me want to be brave.”  Casting Crowns sang, “Lord I feel you in this place and I know you’re by my side, loving me even on these nights when I’m caught in the middle.”  And then Matt Redman sang, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship and it’s all about you, it’s all about you Jesus.”  And he finished, “I’m sorry Lord for the thing I made it when it’s all about you.”

Yesterday I called my Dad, and he told me about two sermons he’d been listening to about worry.  And he reminded me that real faith defeats worry.

That seems to be the message in most if not all of these songs as well.  Real faith defeats worry.

Such a simple message.

And then Avalon sang, “for as long as I shall live, I will testify to love; I’ll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough; with every breath I take, I will give thanks to God above; for as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.”

Now I’m smiling!