What a Mother’s Day celebration we had at Preston Hollow Church! It was awesome. We had a good crowd, the spirit was high, the people were all in a joyous mood. I love those kinds of Sundays. It feels like everything is going great. But what about the Sundays when the spirit is low, the crowd is thin, and nothing seems to be clicking with the worship service? What then? What do we feel when the day is like that?
Over the many years I’ve been pastoring churches, there is one truth that stands out, there are going to be days like that. When I say that, I mean both kinds of days, the high days and the low days.
The same is true in our lives we live apart from our time in church and worship. We are going to have the high days and the low days, the good times and the not so good times. Its a fact of life, none of us get to spend our days in the euphoric moments. We are going to have dips and valleys to contend with.
What I know is, God is quite aware of our human condition, our propensity to have days of anxiety, fear, loneliness, depression. God knows us and knows the many ways we can feel discontent.
In Isaiah 41:10 we hear…”Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God realizes we are going to have those times where we feel as if we are battling life all on our own. Times where strength is going to be non-existent. God assures us in those times we have nothing to fear. We can turn to God and God is there to prop us up and help keep us going.
In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told…”Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” We don’t have to carry heavy burdens around. God tells us to give them over to God. We know its not easy to do. We guard our anxieties jealously. We don’t share them, and we certainly don’t let go of them easily. But what if we did? What if when anxious times came, we simply left those feelings in God’s hands? Wouldn’t our lives feel lighter and more buoyant?
The whole feeling of loneliness or separate-ness, is not counteracted easily. We can feel ourselves get in that kind of funk and it can seem no matter what we do, we still feel the same way. Even in the midst of a worship service filled with music and action, surrounded by a whole a congregation, we can feel that loneliness creep up on us. Jesus promises us in John 14:18…”I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” I know from personal experience of being an adopted child, now having both of my parents deceased, and my beloved Antoine deceased, loneliness creeps up on me at times I’m not even expecting. But I realize, I am not alone. God in Jesus is with me. Right at my side, all I have to do is be open to his presence.
The Psalmist says in Psalm 30:11…”You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” I keep this scripture tucked into my heart for those days that aren’t ebullient and overflowing with energy and excitement.
If I’ve learned anything, we have to be prepared for the great days that come, enjoy them and relish all they provide us. But we have to also be prepared for those days when we aren’t feeling as if we are on a mountaintop, but rather in a valley not seeing much light at all.
As I said in the beginning, I love those days at church and in worship when everything is clicking into place, the spirit is high among all of us, and the joy is palpable. But I know those days are the exception, the ordinariness of our lives catches up to us and we have to learn to handle those days with great care. We know the Psalmist’s admonition in Psalm 118:24…“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Every day…good or bad…high or low…glad or mournful…every day is a good day because God has made it for you and me. Let’s let every day be a cause for lifting our hands in thanksgiving, no matter what comes.
Your companion on the Way,
Pastor Tom