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…

Matt Redman

When I was a senior in college, I was a worship leader with the band of a local college ministry. Right after Easter, my last remaining original grandparent, who had  been a key figure in my entire life, he passed away.

The night before I left for his funeral, I was leading worship and we sang this song. When we got to the line above, I realized that I understood what it meant.

Based off of many different psalms, this worship song focuses on our need to praise God no matter the circumstances. Some may take this as a requirement to give thanks for all of our challenges and trials because they are a part of some divine plan. That we should be happy no matter what.

Like the psalms, that is not how I take it.

My trust is not that God is in control – because if God was manipulating everything, then why is there still evil and death. Instead, mine is a belief that God is present. Walking with us. Carrying us at times. Helping us to survive whatever we must so that we can one day thrive again.

Our God is love. Love that will never force its own will. But love that will always pursue us with open arms and sustenance for the journey ahead.

As we continue on this #alonetogether journey, with no end in sight, my encouragement to you is this:

You don’t have to be happy all the time. You don’t even have to be okay all of the time. But I hope you can trust in this: no matter what is happening, God is there with you and will never drop you. That is why we can bless God’s name – because God is always, always with us.