Hello Everyone!
It’s been quite awhile since the blog has seen the light of day, and we are going to change that in 2021. For the past 2+ years, we have intentionally focused our efforts on memorizing Scripture through the #neuethingchallenge each year. What a gift that has been for us as a community and as individuals! This year’s Scripture memory challenge has taken us into the book of Proverbs as we chase after the wisdom of God.
As many of you know, I love worship. It’s an enormous part of my life and my walk with the LORD. When the world shut down last year and the internet exploded with virtual ways to gather together, Neue Thing jumped right in with our first ever ” Quarantine Worship Nights.” These nights were sweet and intimate, and we had an incredible online turnout each time. This ignited something in my heart. What if we continued to foster this area of growth in our lives? What if Neue Thing put out one blog each month highlighting a worship song and giving some devotional content to go along with it? What if we continued to worship together in this way?
Well, say hello to our first Worship Spotlight from our very own, Emily Heaton. If you don’t know Emily yet, she is my dear friend, ministry partner, and the anointed worship leader who led each and every one of our Quarantine Worship Nights last year. She is a gift to this ministry and a blessing to the body of Christ. Below is a song she wrote, and she shares the inspiration behind the lyrics as well. Also, make sure you stay tuned to our Facebook page, because Emily is going to Go Live this week to perform this song and lead us all in worship!
Where I Am
By Emily Heaton
Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we planned
Upsetting, heartbreaking
Where do I go from here?
It can make you feel lost,
Afraid to move
But, Lord, I look up to You
You’ve given me life, You’ve given Your Son, You’ve given me freedom
So I’ll praise you where I am today
I’ll praise You where I’m standing today
Through the rain, through the storm
Even when I feel alone
You are God, You are God
And I’ll praise You where I am today.
Meaningless
Sometimes it all seems meaningless under the sun
And I’m chasing after wind
When summer’s gone and winter seems here to stay
Lord, help my faith remain
Seasons will come; seasons will go
Lord. You hold control.
When weakness feels like it’s winning
When sorrow is all that I know
I lift my eyes to the hills
I know where my help comes from.
Behind the song:
The first line of this song very simply captures the disappointment in life we all feel at times. Life just has a way of surprising us and throwing us off of the plans or expectations we have. I actually wrote this song in the middle of a very heavy time for my family, when a dear friend of ours was battling cancer. I was feeling hopeless, like my prayers were not being heard. And to be honest, I still feel that way sometimes. Yet I refused to believe God wasn’t there. I refused to let my disappointment overwhelm my trust. And I found hope in knowing God’s presence was there, even when I couldn’t sense it.
The inspiration for the second verse came directly from the book of Ecclesiastes, where the author honestly and emotionally pours out frustration and confusion about life. What a welcoming and gracious gift for God to make space for our grief and processing. I find comfort in knowing He can handle my doubts when they come. He isn’t intimidated by my frustration or anger. In fact, He already knows my thoughts before I have them. He’s the ultimate safe place for the things I wrestle with.
I purposefully didn’t add resolution to the song in the way of my personal experience getting better. You’ll notice in each verse, there is an element of “things are still going poorly.” But I chose to end each verse acknowledging what I know to be true of God. He has given me eternal life, His Son, and freedom. He holds control. Even when our friend battling cancer took his last breath and was called home, He holds control. Even when I didn’t understand or agree with the outcome, He holds control.
These words are a reminder to me when I find myself in seasons of grief, loss, and unmet expectations that I will choose to praise God in every season. I will choose to praise him when I am content. I will choose to praise Him when I am not. I find comfort knowing He is worthy of all worship regardless of where I find myself. And in the seasons when I feel alone, I choose to trust He is there.
I pray you’ll find encouragement from this too. And wherever you find yourself standing today, know that you too can choose to praise God in the midst of any season.
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