Blessed Be Your Name

Job 1:21

"...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

The other night I opened the Bible to read about Job. We've all heard of him. His trials. His heartaches. And his faith. Well I need some faith. I need some hope. And Job seems like a good one to learn from. Thats the reason we have the scriptures right? To learn. Anyway...I really love the scripture above. I wish I always felt this way...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away our baby; blessed be the name of the Lord. I do bless His name. He has given us so much and blessed us so much and who am I to be exempt from sorrow? But if I'm going to be completely honest, sometimes I'm angry. Sometimes I don't understand. Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough to have the Lord's blessings, isn't that why He took my baby? Because I'm not good enough or worthy enough?...now before you get worried about me and my faith...I really don't believe this, I know He loves me and that that isn't the reason Alexis is gone but honestly, if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you feel that way a time or two?

The Lord works in mysterious ways...it was interesting because the next day after reading this first chapter in Job I came across this song called "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman...take a listen:

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed Be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

I love the thoughts he portrays...Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful, Blessed be Your name when the world's all as it should be but also Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering, though there is pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name. Basically...no matter what, blessed be Your name. But if not, blessed be Your name.

I also like at the end where he says "You give and take away, You give and take away, My heart will CHOOSE to say, Lord blessed be Your name." It is a choice, not an easy choice but a choice nonetheless. I pray that I may be able to make that choice more often to say as Job did "...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

p.s. Thank you all for your sweet comments about our Lexi's headstone...I think I am happy about it. And I know what some of you mean when you think it should be "perfect" instead of "beautiful". The reason I used beautiful is it comes from a quote I love, but also the word "beautiful" is meant more than just beautiful on the outside, but on the inside too...essentially the same as the word "perfect"...but others might not get that. But I guess it doesn't matter if others get it, just if we do. Anyway...just wanted to explain that. Thank you all again!!