Blessings in Disguise

Blessings

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home,

It's not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

I'm not sure why this song keeps making an impression. Perhaps it's so real and at times walk through the same struggles of fighting the 'good' my Heavenly Father has seen fit to draw me to Himself. Perhaps it is because I have so many close friends that are hurting and I hurt for them. I wish I could somehow offer some aid, some amount of comfort, just AN ounce of ease to their burden and apply some measure of ointment to their heartache. May Jesus be your comfort and the first embrace you long for...

In consolation, I find it comforting that His 'blessings' whether we are accepting of it or not He is willing to wait for us patiently. Yes, we may be slow, perhaps resistant and digging our heels against the very Father who loves us far more than we think or in ways so much deeper. Just now, Job's wife comes to remembrance... Remember her saying,

'Do you still retain your integrity? curse God, and die.'

More often than not we're quick to point the finger at her and consider her as unsupportive and less spiritual spouse than her husband. Besides she's the woman of a godly man and she should know better, right? We don't hear what she has to say at the end of the book when all is restored and plus some. Perhaps she learned to consider things a bit longer before uttering words she'd have to eat herself? Perhaps she was humbled by the words of her flesh having given in at the lowest time of her life? And then to watch her husband struggle, wrestling with what God had allotted him.

If God had given each of us a preview of our entire life for a few seconds...would you find yourself wincing how much trials, heartaches and the numerous thunderstorms He'd 'plotted' and 'connived' to be thrusted into your 'peaceful' and 'normal' life? It's a most fierce-some cycle and battle. We want to have the comforts of this life and yet we know the deeper satisfaction of a relationship with our Beloved. I know it is easier said than done when we're in the midst of the action, but may our first tears be not for our own pain but a yearning to understand of what our Precious Lord is writing in the sand. He doesn't ignore us as we subconsciously believe when many weeks, months and years are spent on our knees. I am confident that every single sigh whether it is given from grief, self-pity or anger He IS aware. We all know that too well...but when we demand and are in earnest to get answers do we still abide in that truth? It is becoming more and more dear to me...the realization that He cares about every single emotion I express and doesn't make Himself aloof. Yes, ...we are worth more than a sparrow or two!

Lord Jesus, set my heart's eyes upon You. And whatever trial, frustration, disappointment, heartache, or thorn in the flesh, God, please whisper in my ear of Your greater love You want to lavish upon me. Just as through Your Son's death, He has gained many brethren, so Lord, bend my will to suffer a little for Your sake. Let me not count this life far more valuable than the souls You desire for me to shed some light (though faint it be). May we utter with our whole heart, What? Shall we accept [only] good at the hand of God and shall we not accept [also] misfortune and what is of a bad nature?

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away...still will I say, blessed be the name of the Lord!

I leave you with this question, 'Will you still hold onto your integrity?' Or as The Message puts it, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you?" I like that version because it was 'Michelle understandable.' Not really but it gave a little more insight. When the storms of life rage and the wakes build stronger and higher will we yet hold firmly to the Rock that is higher than any wave which could prevail against? Yes, may Jesus be our one and only stay. Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed! Be of good courage my friend, He has yet to reveal what good and perfect gift He has in store for you. It is all because He loves us...with a bigger dream in mind.

If you knew afore time that the heartaches you'd experience were blessings in disguise, how would you respond to Jesus' love differently?