Blessings

Laura Story~Blessings

The first time I heard this song was maybe about a year ago when my sister-in-law sent it to me. I immediately downloaded it off of itunes because I loved it! Since then, it has recently become more popular, and I've heard it a few times on the radio on our Christian station here. This song hits so close to home for me!! It makes me guilty to even think that because I think, "what right do I have to think that I have gone through heart aches or hard times?" I've never struggled with cancer, lost a husband or a child, had some major catastrophe in my life.... I realize that!! And I thank God for that as well. 

If you haven't heard it, I think it would bless you to click on the above link and listen. Even though my trials and struggles are trivial compared to some, there is some wonderful theology here in this simple song. One of my favorite parts is during the bridge when it says, 

"the pain reminds us that this is not, this is not our home."

I've thought of that very thing so many times over the years--this longing we have in our hearts. We know we are supposed to strive for contentment--to be content in all situations. And yet somewhere, somewhere down deep there is always a longing. We can't ever seem to figure it out. It's in all of us--something that longs for something better, something that can't be satisfied, something that always is pulling us "home." We feel this most when circumstances in our life are less than perfect. We feel it when times are tough and people are mean. We can't understand how God could let these things happen. But so many times I've thought these things, and God has brought me back to "this is not your home."

He doesn't want us to be satisfied with this earth and all it has to offer. This sinful, marred place of death and decay isn't the goal!! Within each of us is a longing for our eternal home--that perfect place where we will finally feel fulfilled, settled, loved, and completely satisfied. We will reach it one day. But for now, we have to learn how to live with this--the temporary, the here and now, the pain and heartache. He is the answer to it all. He fulfills our hearts desire while living in this sin filled world. He is with us when the world disappoints. He is our blessing when it seems that everything is crashing down.

"What if my greatest disappointments or the achings of this life are the revealings of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy...."

If that doesn't say it all....just like knowing that this is not our home, we know that this world can't satisfy. On this side of heaven, what really can?? Only Jesus. This world, once again, marred by sin and death, is just a shell of what God intended it to be. My soul thirsts, my heart longs to be quenched, and it can only be satisfied with Jesus. This world will never be enough. Just look at the suicide rates, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, problems with cutting, anything that people do to be accepted or just to end it all...we see that the world can't satisfy. Maybe God brings these heartaches to show us that. Maybe he orchestrates the hard times, the unanswerable problems and heartaches just to show us that HE is the only answer. He wants us to run to him, long for him, hunger and thirst for only Him.

We live in a world full of people running the rat race. They are all trying desperately to get ahead, get the next big break, find happiness in money or popularity. Look at all the people who go to try out for American Idol or one of those reality shows where they could be the next BIG star. That's what it's all about in the world. How sad. How sad when the day comes, and they have it all, and they realize that they still aren't satisfied. Because it will come. Blaise Pascal said,

"There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, make known through Jesus."

 I think that's what Laura Story is trying to say in this lines of this song. Yes, the song is about blessings coming in disguised ways. But I think it's about so much more. It speaks to me in different ways these days as I'm preparing my house, my children, and my life to pick up and leave eleven years of "home." I'm not disappointed that we are going, but there have been disappointments that have played a part in all of this and still do. Things haven't gone as I had planned for sure. I didn't expect to be at this point and still not know where I would be moving my "stuff"! I expected that we would have a nice house, in Knoxville, with a nice church, get involved, etc. etc. That's not the way it's turning out. But I'm learning more and more every day to trust my Savior. I trust his plan. I trust in his sovereignty.

I know this is not my home. I know that this world cannot satisfy. And so this song speaks to my heart.