“Love is not a victory march. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.” Leonard Cohen
I realize this isn’t exactly Scripture, but it spoke to me about the darkness we experience sometimes in our souls. I think as Christians, we often feel as though we are supposed to always be up, happy and hopeful. The Christian life is meant to be one of victory in Christ. It’s true—but it doesn’t always feel that way. There are times when all we can do is try to hold on to God’s truth while we ache inside.
We watch dreams fall apart and wonder where God is in the midst. I have talked to so many people who are sure that their life is a waste, that they will never have what their heart desires. The agony of living hopelessly is overwhelming. I didn’t do anything to deserve this—why me?
I don’t have an answer to the why—but I can tell you that He “gets you” through the how.
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” Job 13:15
Why do we choose to praise Him even when things are falling apart? Because we believe (although it seems utterly impossible) that He can bring beauty out of pain. We believe He will bring joy and hope, even though we cannot imagine how, in the midst of it. We believe this because we have seen Him do it in the past, and because we have nothing else to hang on to for Life, but Him. I think sometimes He allows us to get to this place because He wants to show us that He is Life, and nothing else will suffice. We want to find life in perfect families, in kids, in jobs, in spouses—but life isn’t found in any of those places. It’s in Him and Him alone.