Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out, I'll
turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out, I'll
turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out, I'll
turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I'm gonna say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord Blessed be Your name

OK, I'm pretty down this week. I decided that today is the right day to at least start my long promised post about the title of this blog and the song Blessed Be Your Name. I am quite frankly mourning what seems to be the loss of a great friend, not by death.

Blessed Be Your Name

I am wondering if I will ever again experience the level of fellowship with believers I enjoyed a couple of years ago.

Blessed Be Your Name

I am just tired. I wonder if our holiday plans will satisfy mine or Bill's family. This has been a source of stress since our marriage. You know the where to go when and how long to stay kind of thing. I'm sure I'm not the only one worrying over that. (Yes I know worry is sinful, but I'm honest, it has far past the line of concern)

Blessed Be Your Name

I am thankful that my husband truly finds me beautiful, even though it has been a year and a half at least since I have had a haircut!

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed Be Your Name is a special song for Bill and I. We have left two homes (and two rentals), three congregations and many friends in the past three years. God has given many beautiful blessings to us and has taken away many blessings as well. Our bank account has went up and down. Our level of patience with life in general has went up and down. God is constant. He is always who He is. Circumstance does not alter that. This is of great comfort. I have to be reminded of how His mercies are new each morning. There are times that I do not dwell in the Word. These times are so dark for me. I guess it is like going through life with the headlights off. I have had one of those weeks where my Bible Study has been sparse. It shows. Sure there are things in life that have me down: I continue to be concerned for my parents and little sister. My father broke his leg last week. There are many things that I pray for them. I just know that when I am not in the Word, I despair. That is just it. Where are we without God's promises? We are without hope!

So... Blessed Be Your Name.

I guess it was about a year and a half ago, Bill and I were singing this song in Alabama during a church service. At that time in our life, we were finishing up the remodel of our now beautiful home next to the lovely school Will was to attend first grade (before the move). I was pregnant with a sweet baby girl who did not have Down Syndrome despite the "high likelihood" of this from a blood test. We looked around at a church who had really shown love to especially me. Wonderful friends: Meals when you are sick, pack your boxes when you move, and make you get your butt up and move when you're whining kind of friends. Pray with you, I mean really pray with you, kind of friends. We were singing this song. I was looking around at the people that I was about to move away from. I thought of my newly remodeled home. I thought of the blessing of my child's health. Then, I remembered. I remembered just how sad I was to come to this place that I now loved. How I looked around at the congregation in another church with tears streaming down my face. How that even to this day I haven't returned to my first home because it pained me so much to leave it. God got me through that didn't He? He gave me another group of people that love Him to cherish. He provided another home. He got me through living in a rental that had mice and roaches and I survived. I survived horrible depression and had a greater knowledge of my utter dependence on Him.

Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering

though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

He has shown His faithfulness over and over. He LOVES me! Yes, we were yet again about to leave friends, family, home, school, church, job... It was heartbreaking and still is at times..

You give and take away

You give and take away

But God was with us. He gave us each other and two children, one that was still in the womb.

My heart will choose to say

Lord blessed be your name

A few days ago, a church wide email went out asking for prayer for my father and asking for prayer for Bill and I as we try to show love and concern across distance and through a strained relationship (with my father). That very day, my new friend brought chicken and dumplings and the yummiest Broccoli and Cheese Casserole ever. She also brought hot chocolate mix! Again, I remembered the pastor at that first church that I cried about leaving. "Misty, God's people are everywhere."

I don't get five hugs before I can make it into the sanctuary as I did a few years ago, but that took time. Here was a sister in Christ, showing me love. Praise God.

Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise

Sometimes it is hard to wait for relationships to mature and life to finally be settled again.

When the darkness closes in Lord still I'm gonna say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

I know my God and I know the plans that he has for me.

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I am reminded of perspective as I talk about the people and things that we have been called to leave behind. One of those friends that I moved away from has lost two babies during pregnancy. She will not hold them until she goes to meet her God in heaven. This song is precious to her. She remembers singing it in that same church the first time she returned to worship after the death of one of her babies.

Also, there is Job. After learning of many losses he is finally told that his sons and daughters have now perished. This is his response:

20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:20-22)

You give and take away

You give and take away

I have not suffered losses like these. I have seen pain. I have lost people I love. I have worked to build and then sold or sometimes had to give away possessions. I have seen the refining power of God in this pain.

I have been richly blessed. Foremost in my salvation through Jesus Christ. I have a husband ... I cannot put into words how much God has blessed me by giving my husband to me, Oh how God has used Bill for my good. I have been blessed with children. All of my needs are met.

I do not know if I am about to be richly blessed or be called to suffer. All I know is.....

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I talked to the friend that lost the babies yesterday. She is pregnant for the second time since those two losses. The first pregnancy brought a healthy boy and I prayed with her across the miles for the health of this little one.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

No matter where I am or who or what I have...

Blessed Be Your Name

Please listen to the first song on the playlist.