You’re at a major life event (a wedding, graduation, etc.).
Everyone is buzzing around with happiness in the air. Then something happens that reminds you of a loved one who passed away. And then it hits you. That loved one should have been there. But they’re not there because death took them from this earth far too soon. For a moment, you’re overwhelmed with grief. For a moment, you’re frozen with tears running down your face. For a moment, you long for that loved one to be there celebrating with you. For a moment it seems impossible to feel happy at such a joyous occasion. You begin to wonder if the grief will ever truly go away. But then you realize that everything will be okay. Everything will be okay because you remember that you have an awesome God who provides comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). You have a God who loves and cares for us (1 John 4:7-11). You have a God who knows what it’s like to have a loved one die (John 3:16). You have a God who is always there for us in every situation (Matthew 28:20). God’s got you during this wave of grief and He’ll continue to carry you after the grief passes and through the next wave that comes. In that moment, you realize that grief never really truly goes away but God is always there. In that moment of grief, you allow yourself to grieve. No one is ever happy all the time. In that moment, you think about how much of a blessing that loved one was to you and then count the other blessings God has given you. In that moment, you pray. In that moment, you seek God for comfort. In that moment, you trust in God and that’s why you know that everything will be okay.
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I cried this morning during worship for the first time in a really long time...and that's okay!
I used to hold back my tears during worship until eventually I became numb to feeling the emotions that made me want to cry. I used to be embarrassed to cry during worship. It's not something that I usually see people do during worship so I thought that I was weak for being so emotional. Recently, I have gotten myself back to where I get emotional during worship. I feel and understand the weight of the words we sing. I allow myself to be pricked by prayers and sermons and scripture. I am allowing myself to feel and not just go through the motions. I have finally realized that it is perfectly okay to cry during worship and personal Bible study. It is okay to cry tears of joy and tears of sorrow. It is okay to be overwhelmed with joy or overwhelmed with sorrow. Even Jesus cried and felt emotions deeply (i.e. when He was praying in Gethsemane, when Lazarus died, etc.). When you listen and reason correctly, it should produce an emotional response. God's words are so powerful that we should feel emotions in response to their greatness. It wasn't easy for me to get back to producing an emotional response during worship. It took me a while to knock down walls I had built and push past being numb to feeling deeply. It took hard work and determination to get to where I am today. I am not ashamed for crying. If you are a crier, I hope that you're not ashamed either. We need to feel in order to better understand God's power and grace and mercy and forgiveness. We were given emotions for a reason. Let's use them to help us grow closer to God. Let's shift from just going through the motions to going through the emotions. |
AuthorMy name is Jennifer Odom and I've been a Christian since October 2011. I'm a 20-year-old junior at Freed-Hardeman University. I hope to speak at several ladies days, become a music teacher, get involved with mission work, and bring as many people as I can with me to heaven. Stepping in Light is affiliated with the church of Christ. Archives
April 2020
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