It Is Well

Today was a great day with Capstone.  The Gathering had a feel to it, as if God was saturated in every breath spoken.

It was an amazing worship experience, as we studied Stephen and martyrdom, then began singing proclaiming  that It Is Well, no matter what storms, tribulations, or blessings we go through.

That is a message I think we as Christians know, often, but we don't transfer the knowledge.  Sort of like in math class, I knew what certain formulas were, but I had no idea how to use them or what they were used for.  And this is one of those lessons, a hard lesson, but a necessary lesson.

The idea of praising God through the bad is hard.  Sure, it's easy to say "I'm going to praise God during bad times", and then get a flat tire and still have an optimistic look.

But this isn't about optimism.  This isn't about staying perky and cheerful.  This is the idea of praising God in the absolute darkest moment of your life, a time when you, in fact, aren't happy- but miserable.  A time when everything is crumbling around you, and you are staring your life in the face.  A time where tomorrow probably won't come, where pain is common.

And in that moment, turning to God,knowing that He is carrying us through, and praising His holy name.

That's a sobering thing to grip, and yet it is something that, I believe, we need to be reminded of more often.