He Brought Me Through

Happy Mother's Day...for another 15 minutes or so. It's been an odd day for me with only Matthew in the same place that I am for this special day. While it's nice to be told on the consumer rip-off days that you're special and mean something to someone, if that's not the case the other 364 days of the year, then one day doesn't really mean that much in my humble opinion. But having said that, I did appreciate the yummy lunch I was treated to by Matthew and getting to share that time with my dark-haired daughter, my nephew/son, and Mama Hipp. Ryan was out of town on his honeymoon and Hanna had to head back to DC to begin a new job. Sometimes life just doesn't cooperate with the calendar, so you have to adjust accordingly.









And speaking of making adjustments, I need to say something that's been heavy on my heart today. I know too many moms who spent the day missing a child because of tragic life circumstances. My heart has grieved with you over your loss, but please know that in your moment by moment living as you trust God for the next breath sometimes, you have shined His glory for the world to see and it has not gone unnoticed. Your children are remembered and missed and waiting to celebrate with us all one day.

After lunch, Joey and I headed to Publix where we were joined by my sister and one of his brothers. (Other family members were either sick, working, or living too far away to make it). My mom works on Sundays doing the sampling of new recipes and while I'm not quite sure how this has happened, it appears we have established a tradition of celebrating Mother's Day with her while she is at work.









After leaving Publix, Joey and I headed to the Galleria where the 4th gathering for Passion City Church was meeting. We first became familiar with the Passion Movement years ago through our kids and their friends and then personally as we began listening to the music and messages coming from those involved. For whatever reason, God chose that ministry to challenge our faith, teach us more about worship, and encourage us in His word and that has continued for several years now.

But the greatest connection happened a little over two years ago when we had tickets to hear the "How Great Is Our God" tour when it came to Atlanta. As only God would know, the date arrived only five days after Tiffany's husband decided he didn't want to married anymore and walked out the door. With our pain and grief and questions, we went anyway because we knew that we needed to hear God tell us something, anything, that would help make sense of the nightmare we were living. What He gave us was the promise that no matter what you're going through, God will hold you together and that was all we had for a long time.

Fast forward to tonight and the message God had given Louie about us being worshippers. As he was closing, he was sharing personally how that even in the darkest times that made no sense, God had brought them through. And as I was sitting there in a plastic folding chair, I realized that once again, he was speaking life to me. God had, indeed, brought me through. Past tense, a work of God's faithfulness, finished.

And if that wasn't enough for me to get it, they closed the evening out with Matt Redman's song "Dancing Generation". That was the song Tiffany and Jeff left the church to after the wedding because they wanted something upbeat and happy. Even with all the healing that's happened, for me that song was the last stronghold and I would just skip over it when it came up on a CD I was listening to. So here I am tonight, standing in awed amazement at God's work as I'm pondering that He really has "brought me through" and the chords and clapping begin for this song. Yet as the words came on the screen, I realized they were perfect as they talked about God's mercy, His praise, and our hearts being unable to be silent and keep it in.

So join me, won't you? Let's be part of the Dancing Generation as we live out life wherever He has us for His glory and renown. And thanks, God, for an amazing day of reminding me that you truly have brought me through after beginning that journey by reminding me how great You are and that you would do just that!