You Inspire A Sacrifice of Praise - a Five Minute Friday post.

I am finally sitting in the chair (again)... so let's do this.

This is a Five Minute Friday post, which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt of: INSPIRE

{GO}

I'm still feeling a little unsteady on my feet, but the ground is where it is supposed to be once again and oh my, how I have been avoiding this chair. 

Sitting here... tapping out words that spill from my heart, unedited and unrefrained...

But I'm here. Sitting in the chair. Breathless at how Inspiration is all around us --if we will but focus our eyes and open our hearts.  (#preachingtomyownselfhere!)

My first thought at seeing our Word Prompt is from an older worship song... and the line that now undoes me is about how He inspires songs of praise. 

As morning dawns and evenings fades You inspire songs of praise That rise from earth to touch Your heart and glorify Your Name

And oh, how He does! He DOES inspire songs of praise... He always has, ever since I came to know Him. I love to worship and while I am 'normal' and have gone through hard times in the past, I have never had the mere thought of singing praises cause me to want to just sit it out and be silent quite so strongly.

Enter: The Sacrifice of Praise.


For many of you - you know that my July imploded nearly on every front and though we made it to the other side, it was hard and heavy ---and yes, holy, too! 

Because, of course! 

Because, God. 

Because, no matter what --He is always good.

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

So July, --June 30th actually-- we began a nearly month long ordeal with my Dad.  My Dad, who never goes to a doctor and who has thankfully up until now never really needed to --found himself in an ER room that turned into a 15-day stay that then included a week long stay at a physical therapy place before being released back home.

But he IS home now.  Healing and slowly getting better. Our emotions were all over the place and the mystery of why he was there, what they were (or were not) doing, and how he actually got better is still just that --pretty much a mystery.  But oh how Jesus truly IS our strong tower... Healing was in the room --knocking down walls long built up around hearts and oh my how there is perspective when you think you want to die and then change your mind. Miracles took place on that 5th floor - and only some of them were physical. 

Jesus, in Your Name we pray Come and fill our hearts today Lord, give us strength to live for You and glorify Your Name

God inspiring songs of praise was apparent and full of relief and joy.  Singing came naturally... without effort or hesitation.

And just when we thought we could exhale... well --this is where that dreaded early morning phone call happens and tragedy strikes and there are just no words... nothing to say in any language made by man.  This is where praying in the Spirit happens before your feet hit the floor and all the while, you feel your heart breaking for oh so many who are brokenhearted. 

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower Your Name is a shelter like no other Your Name, let the nations sing it louder Cause nothing has the power to save But Your Name

This is the part where His Name is still a strong and mighty tower... still a shelter like no other... it is... but maybe it doesn't feel like it is.

This is the part* where I don't want to sing it louder.  This is the part where I don't want to lean in to the faith I have, or talk about the Sovereignty of God (I don't think we understand what this really means.) I can't wrap my mind around the injustice of it all.

But God.

But no matter what --He is always good.

I know it is true... and yet, in the midst of it all --we had bossy lists filled with conferences and meetings and so many chances to sit in a chair and raise up heavy hands and hearts and offer up a sacrifice of praise.

Sure --I'd done it before --but never with this much brokenness or sorrow. Never was it such a struggle.  

Part of that, I believe, was due to being an intercessor and an empath.  Oh how I felt every broken piece. But either way, I cried my way through one worship set after another, singing words I knew to be true --and yet being willing to be honest enough with Him in telling Him it sure didn't feel true in the moment.

He can take it when we are unhappy... when we are upset and refuse to be comforted... when we kick and scream or give Him the silent treatment. He's not turned off by us and our stubborn ways, nor does He shy away in our brokenness and when all we have are questions to hurl at Him. He's not afraid of misplaced anger or anguish or the unknown (as if he doesn't know everything!)  

But sometimes you have to SING it... and you have to sing it LOUDER... until you remember that you believe it!  Until you remember that it IS true and you can feel it deep inside your bones and your spirit... Until you allow Him closer still and are willing to trust Him even more.

When you do that... well, you find that He really DOES inspire songs of praise.  

Much of what happened in July is not my story to tell.  Along with a lot of heartbreak, there were many testimonies and so much grace poured out.  

I will say this: the one who led the way in offering up a sacrifice of praise? Yeah... that would be my sister-in-law. She is amazing and God in her, in this unimaginable season, is oozing out grace and glory.

Because, God.

Because, no matter what --He is always good.

{STOP}

I pray for grace.  Having not been in this chair for over a month, I had a lot of words to spill out.  The asterisk (*) is where my Five Minutes were up!

This is the song that undid me at every meeting last month... every. single. one.  

Because: "You have been so, so good to me..." 

Because: "You have been so, so kind to me..."

Because: "Oh the overwhelming, neverending, reckless love of God... oh it chases me down, fights til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine... I couldn't earn it. I don't deserve it. Still You give yourself away..."

Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about: "INSPIRE"

The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:

#FreshMarketFriday...

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

LORI SCHUMAKER FOR #MOMENTSOFHOPE

Barbie Swihart for #Glimpsesofhisbeauty

Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE LORD SPOKE TO ME AND THROUGH ME REGARDING SABBATH REST AND I TURNED MY 31 DAYS SERIES INTO AN EBOOK ON AMAZON.  IF YOU ARE FINDING YOURSELF IN NEED OF REST (WHICH --WHO ISN'T, REALLY?) CHECK OUT THIS SHORT, DAILY DEVOTIONAL  31 DAYS OF RESTING IN GOD ...IT'S EASIER/HARDER THAN YOU THINK!  

YOU CAN PURCHASE IT BY CLICKING HERE OR GRABBING IT FROM THE SIDE BAR TO THE RIGHT IF REST IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU NEED, BUT JUST KEEP PUTTING OFF!