“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems
your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” – Psalm 103:1-5 ESV
The phone rang, and my gut twisted as I listened to the halting speech on the other end of the line on a
cold January morning in 2015. News agencies like ABC were already printing the devastating report,
“Praetorian Standard Contractors Identified as 3 Americans Killed in Kabul.” It was the headline that you
hope and pray that you never experience. Our childhood friend, a godly father, and husband, who was so
full of life and Love, had been tragically shot down in Afghanistan’s international airport. After the call
ended, I numbly finished the dishes sitting in the sink, “Why, God…He was a beacon of light and joy to
everyone around him…why?”
I did not truly expect an answer at that moment, with tears sliding successively down my cheeks and into
the sink, but I clearly heard these lilting lyrics in my spirit:
“Bless the Lord, oh, my soul, oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before, oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name.”
Again and again, my brain could not stop cycling through the familiar cadence. So, the only thing to do
as my heart broke before the Most High was to play the worship song and sing my sorrows and joys
aloud, alone in the kitchen.
“The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
You’re rich in Love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near, and my time has come
Still, my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.”
As I sang, I felt as though I was singing to Jason’s family and over to his family, hundreds of miles away. I
sang to myself, proclaiming the truth of who God is amid the heaviness. Friend, especially in the
moments where we can choose to doubt His goodness and sovereignty, we are beautifully hardwired to
worship Him, to praise His Holy name. Remember, “in Him that we live and move and have our
being” (Acts 17:28); He alone is worthy of our constant adoration. Whether walking through joys
or trials, we must choose to walk in worship.
With Love,
Bek Measmer and the Help Club for Moms Team
Having lived in Colorado Springs most of her life, Bek enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, and other outdoor adventures with her family. When she is not busy homeschooling her four children, you might find Bek absorbed in a book or creating something lovely with her hands.
Bek is learning to continually practice the presence of God as He refines her for His perfect purposes. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
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