Today was our last big work day at the new church building to get it ready for Resurrection Sunday... which is tomorrow. It was hard, but we did it, Praise God! Kind of thankful we're not having Bible Study in the morning, because we will be focusing on the main service. We had a test-run tonight, to get the kinks worked out of the sound system and such. Two people were baptized, and we had food and fireworks afterward.
For some reason it feels like it's been a long time since I've been with my church family. It's only been since Sunday. But worshiping with them tonight was much needed. My heart has been longing to sing out in worship. Probably because this week has been one that has had me perplexed. The last couple of months or so have been super stressful all around, but this week was just... different.
I thought it was interesting, when I read the passage from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that this is where the song "I'm Trading My Sorrows" gets its lyrics. The leave out the part about being perplexed, but not in despair. Of course it didn't rhyme with the rest of the lines/rhythm of the song (though if they tried hard, I'm sure it *could* have worked!) But it is such a powerful line. If we are perplexed - We don't know what to do. But we are not in despair over it, which would be the normal response to not knowing what to do about something. Because isn't that what we do when we don't know what to do? We fret, we worry, we let our thoughts run rampant and they kind of take over. But as Christians, we don't have to be that way. We can be perplexed. However, we don't have to fret, or worry, or over-think things to the point we want to pull our hair out and scream.
So if you are hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, or all of the above; take courage, because in Christ you are not crushed, you're not to despair, you're not abandoned, and you are not destroyed.
I know this is the last thing the enemy wants you to hear, much less think and believe. But maybe you just have to believe this to get through whatever it is you may be going through. Maybe this is a choice you have to make. Maybe it is a new attitude that the Holy Spirit has given you. Maybe you're just having a bad day and you need some encouragement. Be encouraged. Life doesn't have to be like it's always been.
