Life is Not a Snapshot

There is a song that I love right now called "Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson.  And when I say "love", I mean it.  It's the kind of song that I really almost "feel" more than I "hear"... that I drum passionately on the steering wheel to....kind-of like the way I am when I hear St. Elmo's Fire.  Surely someone else out there knows this feeling I'm trying to describe.  Music in general just does that to me, but that's a separate post.  :)

This song in particular just speaks to me because I know some people who have gone through some incredibly hard times in the past few years, and it's about some broad ideas that I feel so strongly about, and have for some time...for sure back to my high school days.  First, I believe that you have to experience the "bad" in life in order to appreciate the "good" - I remember strongly understanding and starting to believe this after a reading of Milton's "Paradise Lost" in high school (thank you Mr. Schultz).  I had never thought before that really it's impossible to have or know what "good" is, unless you also have the opposite.  One of the major themes in Milton's poem is actually that the fall of mankind is in a way fortunate, because it allows us to experience the bad in pain, suffering and death, and allows us to experience the good, that God offers us mercy and the gift of salvation through Jesus.  Secondly, I believe that all life events, bad or good, shape us into exactly who we are to be...that God has a plan for us, and everything that happens to us is included in that plan.  Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose."  This is so huge in my life.  It just gives every thing that happens to me so much purpose....I can rejoice in the good, and in some ways even rejoice in the bad.  It's during the bad that we learn....that we are humbled....that we can have a shifted perspective.  If you can look at the bad this way, you can see the bigger picture (as opposed to a snapshot of one bad moment in your life) that Josh Wilson sings about. 

For me, all of these ideas make the bad things in life so absolutely much more bearable.  That verse from Romans does not say "in all of the good things that happen to you, God will work for the good of those who love him."  No.  It says "in ALL things," - this includes the difficult or bad.

I debated on posting the lyrics to this song, and ultimately decided to go ahead and include them.  They are below, as well as a link to a place on YouTube where you can hear the song if you'd like.  :)

I just pray that every single person would be able to know these things about their life.  That God loves them, there's purpose in all of it (even the pain), and be able to see the bigger picture, and how everything can work together for you when you're following Him.  I pray that each person would not say "if there is a God, how could he let this happen to me," but rather "I have faith that all of this is happening in my life to bring a better ending for me somehow."  I also pray that I will still fervently believe this on the day that the first absolute tragedy crosses my life's path, because I know the things I've faced are nothing compared to what some have.

Let me always look for the bigger picture.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EThmOXku6Nc&feature=related

"Before the Morning" - by Josh Wilson

Do you wonder why you have to feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God who loves you, where is He now?

Maybe there are things you can’t see and all those things are happening

to bring a better ending someday somehow you'll see, you'll see.

Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming

So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

My friend you know how this all ends, you know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there...So say a prayer

And hold on, cause there’s good for those who love God
Life is not a snapshot, It might take a little time but you’ll see the bigger picture...

 

My blog?

I honestly have had this blog set up for weeks now.  Maybe it's even been a couple of months.  I was inspired to start one by several friends on Facebook that regularly blog about their days, motherhood stories, thoughts, things they're reading.  With the amount of thoughts rattling around in side my head at any given moment, I could easily write for hours...possibly days.  I'll just have to spread those thoughts out and attack them one by one, as time permits. 

During the days that I was setting this up, I was so excited about it.  And then it sat....and sat....and sat.  I think my problem has been....where do I even begin with all of these thoughts and stories to share?   :)  I have a beautiful, wonderful and imperfect marriage.  Hillarious and talented kids....a great family.  I sometimes must deal with challenges that life throws at me.  My sister's getting married.  I'm pregnant.  My other sister is one of the strongest women I know, for the things she's been through in the past couple of years.  Within the past few years I lost both my mother-in-law and my step-mother-in-law to battles with cancer.  My church is doing great things for people.  I feel God's presence so strongly in my life right now.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I mean, how do you know where to begin?

I guess what I just need to do, is jump in, feet first and just go for it.  So that's what I'm attempting to do here....the first post has to be the hardest, right?

My goals for this blog, are:
1.  To have a way to look back at my life from time to time, in detail, and to never forget where I've been.
2.  To journal my children's antics, and my family's adventures.
3.  To have a place to direct my thoughts to, and hopefully make some sense out of them.
4.  Maybe, possibly to brighten someone's day from time to time, or share a story that someone else can relate to, or that can help someone in some way.
5.  To share the amazing things that God can do in someone's life.
6.  To have a way to daily remind me of what I have to be thankful for.

If you're reading this, thank you...and hang in there with me.  I have NO idea what I am doing.  :)