When I was in high school, my friends and I would make mix-tapes. We’d record the songs that summed up a season, sometimes giving it to other friends, or a boyfriend. I laugh about it now. I’ve distanced myself a bit from music, and my mix-tape days are way behind me, but this past year there have been a couple of songs that seem sown into this time of my life.
One song that plays on the radio is Laura Story’s Blessings. And many times, I couldn’t sing it without crying. The past year was filled with a lot of the unexpected, sometimes not so good. Sometimes, downright painful. And sometimes, I thought I would be swallowed by grief. Approaching today’s reading, I couldn’t get past Hannah’s prayer. My study footnotes read, “Hannah’s prayer is a song of praise and thanksgiving.”
Hannah’s prayer is a song.
The notes continue, “Hannah declares that life and death, prosperity and adversity, are determined by the sovereign power of God.”
Sovereign God, all-knowing, I understand … but how often do I attribute the trials, heartache and trouble in my life to the work of Satan? I sometimes fall into the short-sightedness of praying, “God, please get me out of this.” Or “please get me through this!” And I think that afterwards, I can look back and see those teachable moments. But I wonder, what if my song became one of praise and thanksgiving instead of one of pleading? I wonder if I slowed down, looked at the circumstance as one of his doing or approval, perhaps I would see the mercy in disguise.
Father, this past year was hard. But I come through it with a greater fear of you, a reverence for your awesome power, and gratitude for you in the details. I pray that my song would sing to you in praise and thanks.
Courtney (66books365)
Sixty-six books in a year 