The Choice to Praise

       Today started out completely the wrong way, but I am trusting God. My heart is breaking for my best friend of over 23 years who lost his father last night to a heart attack, for my aunt who's anxiety is so out of control right now she can hardly care for herself let alone for my grandmother who lives with her and is suffering from dementia, and once again my car won't start, but God has this all so I'm trying to let go. I'm trying to praise the Lord even though everything around me says that things are terrible, even though I feel terrible inside and I'm overwhelmed by it all.
       And to be honest when I really think about it I still have a lot to be thankful for, my husband is in good health and had today off so I could use his car to get to work, my employers are going to give me the day of the funeral off to be with my friend, my dad is lending me his car for tomorrow, and I have a warm home to return to, while there are many not so fortunate in this cold snowy weather. Most importantly, I have my savior with me, comforting me with His word, reminding me to rest in Him, to lay down my burden to Him, and trust Him despite how I feel and what things look like. I have a savior who died to save me from death, and you too! That alone is worth praising and thanking Him for in any circumstance!
       So, today despite tragedy and hard times, I am making the choice to praise. When I want to cry, I will thank Him for working things out, even though I don't understand how. I will thank Him for His comfort, and those who are praying for my situation and my friend's. When I want to sit down and scream, I will sing worship music instead because I still have a wonderful God who can make the impossible, possible. When I get frustrated and feel like just giving up I will lean into Him knowing He will provide me the strength to keep moving, ands smiling. No matter the circumstances I am blessed, I trust God, I read His word and I know He is faithful, I know when things look like they are falling apart, that's when God is doing His best work in our lives. So I choose to praise! Thank you Jesus for you, and all that is gong right today! Amen.

 Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,

praise him with the strings and pipe,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.                     

1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.