On a Sunday in the end of April, we attended an Assembly of God Church in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. Getting there was a challenge (like most things with transportation have been since we arrived here), but in the end, God’s plan for the day was so much greater than ours could have ever been.
After a little over an hour of traveling, we walk into the AIR CONDITIONED church building. I am first to walk in, greeted with smiling, happy faces, eagerly directing me to where some open seats were. We end up front row, to the side of the main space there (they didn’t really have a stage).
It was shortly after the worship time had started, so we got in and got settled quickly, then joined in worship. Shortly after, the pastor’s wife brought us someone to translate. He sat in the middle of our group of 4. They were praying, shouting, singing praises when suddenly…
The lights went out…
Now this is not an uncommon occurrence here, or at least I wouldn’t think so since we have seen both the power and water cut from time to time in our hostel.
But what was really amazing was; as the lights shut off, so did the air conditioning, so did the microphones and so did the speakers. In that moment, a small moment of complete darkness in the room, they praised louder. They didn’t skip a beat.
They could no longer read the words on the projector … but that didn’t matter.
You could barely hear the lead singers voice… but that didn’t matter.
The sound of the drums being played completely drowned out the guitar … but that didn’t matter.
They continued to praise God, and they got LOUDER.
And in that moment, God laid on my heart a very simple question: “Do you praise me louder in the dark?” “Will you?”
As humans, just regular people, we sometimes get bogged down with what’s going on around us. It’s real easy to cast God aside and forget how many little things are a miracle, how much he LOVES us, and how cool he is … all the time. On the race, that can look like getting frustrated with your teammates, being hot/tired/smelly from a long day, not having a shower in who knows how long, being super busy, or sometimes not busy enough. We get stuck in the here and now and caught up in what’s in front of us or around us. That’s OK… we’re human.
God, though, being the God he is … knew that would happen (he did create us after all) and left us some nuggets of encouragement for those times:
— He tells us that our joy, prayers and thankfulness shouldn’t be based on our mood or feelings, because feelings are fleeting and will change. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
— He tells us to submit to him, and not to get caught up with the devil or the evil things of this world. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8
— He tells us to praise him always. For when we do, he is faithful. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34: 1-4
He wants us to choose praise. He wants us to choose joy. He wants us to choose him … And when we do, he is faithful to deliver us. He is faithful hear us. He is faithful to meet us there.
Let’s choose joy. Let’s choose praise. Let’s choose him… even when it’s dark…
–Dacey
p.s. I am still in need of $3,617 to be fully funded. Please help me to stay in the field. God is doing GREAT things all over the world and I am so blessed to be a part of it! Share this post, subscribe to my blog, tell your friends… Help me out!
