If...

The song says..."If You want me to..." Cliches can be true: Behind every cloud is a silver lining; when God closes a door, He opens a window,; grass is greener on the other side of the fence, etc.
One saying though I've never understood...sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Well bring on the sticks and the stones because I'd take them anyday over the words that cut so deep. The words that change lives, that rob you of the lives you've invested in, that could so easily rob you of the joy of the Lord. The words that speak UNtruth, that continue to cut and infect... for now.

We can turn to Scripture and find that God is on our side. He doesn't promise continual peace but He does promise to hold us, to never let go or leave us alone, and to never give us more than we can bare. While I know Scripture speaks truth, again, music fills my soul along with Scripture. Ginny Owens sings "If You Want Me To"

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why you brought me here
But just because You love me
I'm gonna walk through the valley if You want me to.
It may not have been a way I would have chosen
When you led me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone.
So when the world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put me through
And I'll go through the valley
if you want me too.
Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet.
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I'll go through the fire
if You want me to.


Whatever it takes, pull me in.

Restoration

Restoration Audra Harke, Clay Edwards

You bring restoration,
You bring restoration,
You bring restoration to my soul.

You've taken my pain And you call me by a new name.
You've taken my shame And in its place you give my joy.

You take my mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my weeping and turn it into laughing
You take my mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, You make all things new.

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul.
Psalm 30:5 Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:11-12 You have turned my mourning into dancing, loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Bad Days Better

You have made my day
Even in stormy weather
I'm dancing in the rain
Cause you make bad days...

Great is the way
When you come to mind
I am smiling ear to ear
Sweet thoughts of you
I'm always in the mood
To twirl around with you
to twirl around with you
While it's raining
Even if it's a dream

Great is the way
That I am unafraid
When I see you
All my fear goes away

Bad days are coming
Rainy days are always around
But if I can see you
One glance upon you
The sun comes out

I'm dancing in the rain
Cause you make bad days better

As I see it, I have two choices:
I can sit beside the dance floor in the rain and watch the dance continue without me.
Or I can choose to take this moment of dark clouds, lift my head to God, let Him embrace me, lead me to the dance floor and dance with Him through the rain.

I choose the dance, I choose to allow him the opportunity to make the bad days better. I choose to twirl around, to smile ear to ear, to let the sun come out with just one glance of him.

With rain sometimes comes a good show of God's majesty across the night sky. The flashes of light and the roll of thunder remind me of His Sovereignty and of the darkness that can accompany these rainy days.
I choose to take in the rain and the majesty of night lights and pray for the sun to come out in the morning. I choose to dance with God through the rain and to run with him when the sun finds its way back.