Finding breath and beauty amidst the storm

Tag: music

Anticipation, Part 2

I woke up Sunday morning reciting a verse in my head: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.”

I have a reminder on my phone so that verse, Isaiah 61:1, pops up every Sunday morning, but this week I thought about it before I even reached for my phone.  Actually, I know that verse so well that I don’t really need the reminder to know those words. I have lived those words.

Last week, I wrote about anticipating my peonies popping open every spring.  Lately though, I’ve been anticipating another yearly event, although I guess dreading it is the more accurate way to describe it. 

You see, Sunday was the 8th anniversary of Cody’s epilepsy diagnosis.

My greatest joy was born in October.

Four years later, October ushered in my greatest heartbreak.

Obviously, I knew it had been coming for…well, since the 7th anniversary.  But this year, we had scheduled our fourth fundraising concert on the same day so at least something good would come from something bad.

But once the planning and preparing were finished, I spent a day depressed.  Because no matter how much we were eagerly anticipating the concert, the dread of facing one more anniversary and starting one more year of epilepsy also loomed ahead of us.

LIFELINE FRIDAY – Sing

What are you waiting for?  I’m not saying that in a “get up and do something” way, but truly am wondering, is there something for which you are waiting?  A diagnosis or treatment, a job, a renewed relationship?

I’m waiting, for several things actually.

I recently noticed daily Instagram posts from someone I don’t follow, but I liked them. It turns out they are quotes from this man’s podcast called The Place We Find Ourselves.  There are 100 episodes in the series, and it struck me that in 100 days this season in which I find myself may be over, this waiting.  Life will look different – or at least we’ll have a better idea of how it’s going to look.

I felt God telling me to create a music playlist called 100 Days and then wait for Him to tell me what songs to add to it each day.  After seven days, I have 16 songs on it, many of which I had never even heard of a week ago.  One of them was actually sent to me by the singer after I commented on Instagram that I liked a quote of his because it was exactly what God was asking me to do:

“When you haven’t a song left to sing, sing still.”  ~The War Within

He said that became the basis for one of their new songs and sent me the link to How You Love Me.

Even if I haven’t a song left to sing
I’ll sing still
How You love me
Even if I lose every earthly thing
I’ll know still
That You’ve got me

I found that quote the day I started the 100 Days playlist.

Sing still.

Sing in the next 100 days of waiting and anxiety. In the unknown.

I’ve created this playlist on Spotify and YouTube and I hope you’ll sing along with me in your waiting too.

Dance with Me today

“We tend to stay away from mourning and dancing. Too afraid to cry, too shy to dance…we become narrow-minded complainers, avoiding pain and also true human joy…While we live in a world subject to the evil one, we belong to God. Let us mourn, and let us dance.”

HENRI NOUWEN, Suffering and Joy

Cody met his favorite musician at a 5:30 pm Q&A one night before a show.  We attended only the Q&A because the show itself was past Cody’s bedtime. Staying up too late triggers his seizures, so we are very strict about bedtime. 

When I emailed the singer, Jason Gray, a month later, he remembered us and agreed to play a concert for us as a fundraiser for epilepsy.  He remembered us after the Q&A specifically because we hadn’t been able to stay for the show. 

Epilepsy prevented us from attending his show; epilepsy made us stand out to him.

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