I love to sing. There are days when no one can shut me up! Many mornings, I awaken with a song in my head, and that song becomes my hum all day long. I sing when I’m happy and when I’m sad. I’ve sung for countless weddings and funerals, and I help with leading worship on Sundays at church as one of the worship team too.

When I was a little girl, my sister tried to pay me to stop singing. I would take a nickel from her, and then stop for ten minutes or so. And then I told her she owed me more money if the silence was to continue. And I sang some more. My parents actually made a rule of no singing at the dinner table.

Music soothes me. Worship is a big part of my life, and I find myself thanking God all day long as I listen to worship music while I work. But there are times when I absolutely NEED to worship.

In the seasons of life, dark days come sometimes. I’ve lived through times of great mourning, grief, and pain. And I‘ve had to worship through them. I’ve known betrayal and agony and depression. And I’ve needed help remembering to worship.

I remember a day when I just walked aimlessly from room to room. I was dealing with grief and depression, but the normal events of the day weren’t going well either. I knew I should do something to get out of my funk, but I couldn’t think of how I could climb out. And then, like an arrow of hope, I had the thought, Take your iPod outside and sit on the swing. Of course! Down deep I knew that worship should be my foundation in the midst of the storm, but I had forgotten somehow. The darkness had tried to smother me, but it didn’t win.

Before long, tears were streaming down my face as I listened and sang along with worship songs on my iPod. It was so much easier to shake off my cloak of despair when I could remind myself of truth. God is faithful; He will not fail. He promised to be my help. He loves me, and won’t ever leave me. He is a shield about me, and He is strong on my behalf. He covers me with His Holy Spirit. He sings over me.

It took about forty-five minutes or so to soak it all in and to lay my heavy burdens at the feet of Jesus. But it worked once again. Being grateful for Who God is in the midst of my pain and blessing Him had blessed me overwhelmingly once again.

He is God, and I am not. He is bigger than all of the issues and problems. His promises are true, and He cannot lie. He loves and will not abandon. He is good, and his mercies endure forever. He lives in me, and I am never alone.

Ahhhh. That’s better. You should try it sometime.