Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
But instead. Instead.
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
She raises her hands. Instead of losing her legs, instead of sitting down in the pew which would have been acceptable and understood, she puts her tired hands in the air as high as they will go in offering and praise to the God who knew her baby wasn’t going to be well but gave it to her anyway.
God, you give and take away
Oh, you give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
Tears streaming down her face, she worshiped. She worshiped a God who doesn’t always make sense to us. She worshiped a God who is there in the celebrations and who is there in the death marches. Who can handle our anger and fury. Who can handle our broken hearts.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name, oh
My sister stood broken at the foot of the Cross, a baby missing from her arms. I could get out of bed, a life I thought I had gone, burned to the ground.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
I don’t know how it happens. How you recover from the loss of a child, the betrayal of a spouse, the devastation of everything.
Blessed be Your name
But muscle memory tells me this won’t last. Muscle memory tells me, sometime again, there will be celebrations, joy, happiness.
You give and take away
God, give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
I don’t have all the answers. Actually, I know less than I did ten years ago, ten months ago, and last week.
God, you give and take away
Oh, you give and take away
But my heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
My only answer right now is Jesus. I don’t know anything else. I can’t tell you what the future holds. I don’t know what my marriage will look like next month or next year. If there will be a marriage.
Oh, you give and take away
God, give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
I know I’m going to be okay. I don’t know how I know this. I can’t explain why I know this. My brain fights this thought. But my heart knows. I’ve seen the redemption too many times to count. The pattern, the rising, the healing.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Hands high in surrender even though it hurts.
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
“…and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” Job 1:21
IF YOU’RE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS SONG, YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT HERE.
(JUST JOINING THIS SERIES? START HERE.)
***
This article originally appeared at TrustyChucks.com.
