Streams in a Wasteland

We meet again..

Yeah, I know it's been a while..
So anyway, you know which Psalm I really like? The thirtieth one. It's probably one of my favs. I'm just gonna go ahead and post it cause I can't try to summarize all the awesomeness.

Psalm 30
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down into the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved." Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord; and to the Lord I made my supplication: "What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!" You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever! 

There are so many awesome verses in this work, but I particularly love the last two. And for like ever, up until today, I've never felt that I could rightfully claim those verses as my own. The main reason is that I still mourn over certain things. There is never a time when I can't think of something that has happened or that I'm struggling with that won't make me feel incredibly sad or mournful. And I always thought, "Well, since I still mourn or experience sadness, since I still struggle with various things, I can't claim those verses. I would love to be able to, and I hope to one day, but right now I can't." I felt that proclaiming those verses as how I felt would be lying and that I wouldn't be being (weird combo of words) honest. But today when I was reading this Psalm, a thought came into my mind. It dawned on me that maybe things don't have to be completely well with me in order for Jesus to turn my sorrow and distress into dancing. Maybe things don't have to be perfect or happy for me to receive a garment of praise. Maybe that's the beauty of it-that there will always be a reason not to dance and rejoice, but through Christ we can. I'm not going to lie, the thought seems rather precarious to me and I tread gingerly on it, only because I know how easy it is for me to sink back into my sorrows. But maybe....just maybe... Jesus has already turned my mourning into dancing and He's waiting for me to join Him. Maybe the band is ready, maybe I'm dressed in a beautiful gown, and maybe He's watching me, waiting with hand held out, ready to lift up my face to meet His eyes, ready to sweep me away in His arms and lead me onto the dance floor...

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning, the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61: 1-3)