Refusing to Sing the Blues

It was a terrible, horrible, no good Tuesday.  One of those days you just wish you could start over from the very beginning.  Before the day was over I would receive blow after blow of disappointing news.  If that wasn’t bad enough, I was struggling with feelings of discontentment. I didn’t have the heart for the monotony of another work day. I was bored of the repetition and routine, the sameness of everyday.   

As I struggled to maintain a good attitude and stay above the gloom, I fielded call after call of the unexpected, text after text of discouraging news from family members, and email after email of issues that needed my immediate attention. Talk about being pressed in on from all sides and all at the same time. Yet I was still expected to come up with solutions, find answers, give sound advice, and be the encouragement others needed. But I too needed my spirits lifted. I was in need as well.

After dealing with an extremely difficult person who plain and simply wanted me to be as miserable as they were, I almost gave into the feelings and emotions that had been intruding on me all day. Instead I ran to God telling Him how desperately I needed Him. How I couldn’t keep an attitude that honored Him without His help.

Even though I couldn’t leave the constraints of my office, I laid down the burden of gloom and disappointment that was encroaching on my spirit.  Through whispered songs of praise I took my eyes off of my own negative feelings and the emotions that were pulling me toward hopelessness and instead placed my focus on the One my heart desires.

Psalms 42

As the deer longs for streams of water so I long for you, oh God. (vs. 1 NLT)

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  (verse 2a NIV)

Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God!  I will  praise Him again – my Savior and my God!  (vs. 5-6a NLT)

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.(vs. 8 NLT)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.   (vs. 11 NIV)