I don’t know about you, but the past twelve months have made me want to do anything but praise God. Reflecting on all that has happened in our nation and in our world in this season has been such a mixed bag of emotions and in the darkest moments, I’ve had a really difficult time seeing the light, the good, or anything positive. It’s in those moments that I’ve had to rely on doing the hard thing of knowing that regardless of the mess that’s swirling around me, God was and still is, right in the midst of it.
Throughout the early months of the pandemic, I was participating in our Worship Wednesday weekly rhythm by going live on Instagram to sit at the piano and worship with many of you who tuned in week after week. Praise and worship has been such a huge part of my life since childhood, so one might think that in dark moments, I would run right to the piano and want to sing and play my heart out. But I’ve mostly just felt stuck and unmotivated to do anything resembling worship and praise. My hands would just sit on the keys and the words and notes felt stuck in my throat like a giant lump that I just couldn’t swallow. Some weeks, there were a handful of people tuning in, sometimes it was just my parents tuning in from the East Coast (thanks, Mom and Dad!), and other times it was many of you spending your lunch break or part of your evening to connect with myself and members of our worship team in such a special and unique way– for those few moments we felt connected and at home with each other. There were several times where I didn’t feel emotionally ready or have the energy, but I kept showing up. Little by little, God was using this simple connection over social media to remind me that again, He was near.
My prayer for each of us is that no matter where we are in this season of Lent and reflection that we can find the hope and comfort in praising God. Psalm 68 says, “Blessed be the Lord- day after day He carries us along. He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes! He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us. Sing praises to His name!” (MSG)
On the days where light, good and positivity seem a distant glimmer, may we feel the nearness of the One who deserves all of our praise.
Written by Martha Haines, Makers Worship Leader and Communications Staff Member