The Psalmists knew how to whine, vent & gripe, right? They also knew how to explode with joyful relief. The Book of Psalms’ 150 chapters run the wheel of fortune from bankruptcy’s begging God how long must I bear pain in my soul? to the million-dollar ecstasy of Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
It is so glorious when life falls perfectly into place for us and so dire when the bottom drops out. If it is true that one purpose of our lives on earth is to learn specific lessons God has for us to learn then why would the excellent teachers albeit dreaded dark days be so shocking?
Psalm 116:6 spoke to me this morning, “The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low he saved me.”
He saved me sounds like a swift one-handed interception for an instant win rather than the dull and painful daily process of weight room reps. Being saved after being brought low may be glancing up a year after tragedy and thinking, “Dang-look at me still breathing and half way thrilled to be alive…no way! Go me! Woo-hoo!”
While I stared at the sea monkey container of my life after we lost our child, I had to believe that, visible or not, hope was there. Floating around alive and well. The crazy thing is what brought hope from invisible to visible was the proof of it in those who loved me.
Hope showed up in a card, a meal, a kindness. People who had walked the path lending me their favorite scriptures. Latching onto life-giving passages.
Do not ask me how people inspired by God’s graceful Spirit loving you translates into strength and hope when brought low but be certain of this; it does. The vision of being saved, rescued, hopeful and seeing the sea monkeys is only possible in hind sight.
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