I've been trying to write this post for five days now. I wanted to tell you about an...ahem...adventurous trip to Wal-Mart with the girls that involved an obnoxious singing birthday card, open food in the cart (that we hadn't yet paid for), and a 4-year-old who insisted on singing the echo song (aka "This is the Day") at the top of her lungs.
I didn't feel very much like rejoicing and being glad that day. I just wanted to get the heck out of the store.
In retrospect, I was more than a little ashamed that I snapped at Micah when she asked me to sing with her, because really, nothing about my day was all that bad. I should have been able to praise God in the middle of Wal-Mart with her. Instead, I let my stress get the better of me, and I refused to sing.
So I was going to tell you all about that trip to the store, and I was going to be thoughtful and reflective and insightful and remind you that THIS is the day that the Lord has made. No matter what happens, we should rejoice and be glad in it.
But it just wasn't clicking for me. I couldn't find the words that I wanted to say. And so I've said nothing. Thinking that the words would eventually come. Thinking that I should save the post for a day when I feel more like praising God.
And then came yesterday. And I realized that if I waited until I felt like it to finish this post, we'd be waiting for a long time.
Yesterday didn't get off to such a bad start. I was mildly productive while Micah was at preschool, and Kendall was happy to play with blocks while I worked. I had big plans for the afternoon. Plans of catching up on some #LentChallenge reading, working on this here blog post, and designing a few new submissions for Minted if time permitted.
But time did not permit, because I picked up a sick little girl from preschool. A girl with a 102 degree fever, a sore throat, and an upset tummy. Instead of reading the Bible, I cleaned up vomit. Instead of writing a blog post, I held my girl. Instead of designing cards, I doled out saltines.
Not exactly inspiration for praising God.
But here's the thing. If I can't find it within me to praise God after a normal trip to the grocery store with a couple of kids in tow or an afternoon that went slightly awry, then how in the world will I find it within me to praise the Lord when something really goes wrong?
Because someday it will. That's just life.
God is good. All the time. When the sun is shining and when the rain is falling, God is good. He is good when the sun comes up each morning and when it goes down each night. He is good when everything goes as planned and when everything falls apart. His goodness isn't dependent on my circumstances. No matter how I feel, no matter what things look like, He is good. That's the truth of the matter, and that's reason enough to praise Him.
And so today, I will rejoice and be glad. Even though I spent two hours at the pediatrician's office with one sick kid and one toddler who's into everything. Even though I had to hold Micah down kicking and screaming while the nurse jabbed a shot of penicillin in her thigh. Even though our subsequent trip to Chick-fil-A was kind of a disaster.
Even though I don't feel much like praising Him, I'll do it anyway.
Because we have a good and kind doctor and affordable healthcare. Because we have access to effective medicine that does away with nasty things like strep throat. Because we have the luxury of stopping in for ice cream when we're having a bad day. And most importantly, I will praise Him because He is God, and He is good. Always and forever. He is good.
I suppose I could moan and sigh and complain about how nothing is going my way, but would that help anything really? I think not. Fake it til you make it, I say. Who knows? Maybe once you start praising, you won't feel like stopping. Trust me on this. It works for me.
Until next time, grace and peace.