Highs and Lows

Trish & I were running an errand this afternoon and drove past a church. The sign indicated it was "New Heights Baptist." There's a New Heights Church of Christ near us, and not too far away an Eagle Heights Church. Believe me, I understand the concept, and am not knocking any of them for their choice of names. Nonetheless, the thought crossed my mind, why not a "Same Old Lows" Church, or "Yet Another Valley." Obviously, the heights are where we all want to live. We want our Christian experience to be a positive one, characterized by growth, mountain top experiences (like the transfiguration of Christ), overwhelming victory. That's as it should be.

At the same time, the reality is, we have life to deal with, and it's not always a bed of roses. Later this evening I heard Chris Tomlin talking on the radio about a new song that dealt with lifting our hands to the Lord. Instead of emphasizing lifting our hands in praise, this song emphasized lifting our hands when facing trouble. The next song played was Amy Grant singing,
"We pour out our miseries,
God just hears a melody,
Beautiful, the mess we are,
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah."

That's where we live sometimes. There are lows, valleys, ruts, even pits. Sometimes the day to day, mundane stuff is really hard. Sometimes the hard stuff goes on for days, months, even years. How do we deal with it? How do we help others deal with it? What do you tell a new believer who hits a crisis, or hasn't fully escaped the crises with which he/she was dealing when he came to Christ? Do we just name our churches "New Heights" and hold out the promise of soaring with wings like eagles?

I felt a little guilty, I guess, for suggesting that we should start a church called "Same Old Lows." I was being facetious. As I thought it through I decided a better name might be "Giving Thanks Church." I truly am convinced that learning to give thanks, joyously, from a heart of faith to a faithful God, for all things, is the way to victorious living. All things: a loving wife, or a cheating spouse; a loving father, or an abusive one; good health, or cancer; an obedient child, or a rebellious one; a new car or a wrecked one; a nice house, a tornado damaged house, or a homeless shelter; making the right choice, or reaping the "rewards" of a mistake.

High or low. Mountain top or valley. Good or bad. "All things" includes all things. If we are to give thanks always for all things, it must include all things. This can only be if we come to a place of totally trusting God - knowing that He is, that He is powerful, and wise. He is God. He deserves honor. He will use all things to bring honor, and glory and praise to Himself. He is also loving, and has our best interest at heart. He will use all things in our lives to grow us, to mold us into His own image.

We have two horses we are training - more accurately, learning to train. One of the things I've learned is that I must gain their trust. They have to learn that I'm not a predator. I'm not out to harm them. I found myself telling one of them this morning, "I will not hurt you. I will always look out for you and seek your benefit." The words of Jeremiah came to mind: "I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." I need my horse to trust me that way. Even moreso, I need to trust God that way. I may let my horse down at some point. God will never let me down. Do I truly believe His plans for me are for my good, for my well-being, to give me a future and a hope? Then how could I not relax, let go of my cares and anxieties, and thank Him for all the things He's using to bring about that good - which, by the way, is all things.