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Hard Fought Hallejuah

I'm sure you've probably heard this song by now. But...just case you haven't (or in case you'd like to listen again)...take a pause and watch the video before you keep reading.



I resonate right now with all of the lyrics, but here's the part I want to talk about today: 

"'Cause faith isn't proven like gold
'Til it's been through the fire, eh-eh 
My head, heart, and hands are feeling heavy
But that's when I lift them just a little higher"

Yes! I feel this to my core right now! And this song has been a healing balm to my heart. Helping my "soul catch up with my song." 

Praise God.

The women's event I was preparing my Romans 8 talk for got cancelled due to low ticket sales. So, I'm going to be offering it as a free Zoom call sometime in May. I literally found out it was cancelled the day AFTER I finished my PowerPoint slides. 

Welp.

But here's the thing - God knew it was going to be cancelled. And He also knew I needed to dig in and learn some of the lessons of Romans 8 for myself. 

Just like the song says: "faith isn't proven like gold 'til it's been through the fire." 

My faith has been under fire recently, and the things I've been learning in Scripture were EXACTLY what I needed to know to get me through.

Because of my extra time in the Word lately, I've felt God closer than I have in a very long time. (Not that I would say He was distant...I've just gotten that much closer to Him recently.) It's like the more time I spend in His Word, the more I'm drawn to Him. And the more I'm drawn to Him, the more I WANT to be in His Word. 

When we allow Him to saturate our lives...it's like everything gets more focused. This reminds me of a song I heard for the first time last June at my life coaching graduation event. A fellow life coach - who is also a songwriter in Nashville - sang a song she co-wrote: "Love Me Back to Life" (released by Natalie Layne). The chorus says: 

"Everything was black and white

Now it's technicolor

A whole new world of wonder

You put the light back in my eyes

My heart was dead, you breathed into it

Made me new, before I knew it

You love me back to life

You love me back, love me back to life."

 I think the song is referencing the difference before and after salvation. But I feel it so strongly right now. It's like my faith had gotten a little stagnant, and the fires of life that pushed me closer to God and more into His Word...brought me back to life!

I've seen the tangible working of God in my life recently. Like, no two ways about it - He IS working. I'm so thankful for His promises to never leave me or forsake me. Thankful that He gives, not as the world gives. Thankful that He is working ALL things out for good. And that His Word says He will restore 7-fold whatever the enemy has taken away. 

My God is my everything. I'm just so excited He met me in my wilderness, and He's taking me back to a mountaintop. 

The wilderness and the valleys and the mountaintops of life - they're all part of a beautiful life here on plant earth (as Phil Robertson would say). And I'm thankful for each of them. Because we can only fully appreciate the view of the mountain top if we've been in the valley, stuck in the wilderness, and fought hard to climb our way to the top. And when we're in the wilderness and valleys, seeing the mountaintop and remembering the views from our last visit, help get us through. 

I can't wait to see what amazing things are ahead in my life. I am excited for ALL the ways I see God moving in my midst. For all the ways I feel Him leading me. For the answered prayers He's already given, and the ones I know are on the horizon. I'm just so in love with and in awe of my Lord. What a miracle to be called the daughter of the King!

For now, you'll catch me listening to Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll on repeat, belting out the words right along with them: 

"I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt

Been-through-hell hallejuah (ooh, ooh)

And I'll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail

Story-to-tell hallejuah, oh

'Cause God, You've been patient

God, You've been gracious

Faithful, whatever I'm feeling or facing

So I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallejuah."

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