Life Upside Down

Jeremiah 31:13

"Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."

In Central Florida a science center exists called "Wonderworks." Their motto is "the place where imagination can run wild." The most interesting thing about Wonderworks is not that it is a science center nor it's motto, but it's structure. As you stand outside you see what looks like a mansion uprooted from it's foundation and flipped on it's roof from a tornado. Something like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.

Life is all too much the same. We find ourselves planning, desiring and having the hopes of a good future. Maybe we plan for the perfect marriage, a great job, health, children who do not have a health problem or make bad decisions, but then that tornado comes, throws us a curve ball, and uproots our perfect mansion flipping it upside down on it's roof.

 "Oh no...God why...this didn't go how I planned!" Maybe those are some of the questions or comments during those times as we see the mounting bills as we just lost the job, the perfect marriage was riddled with a cheating spouse or the child who we love so dearly requires us to be on our knees as they turn their back on God.

Don't loose hope though. God has a plan so much greater than ours and sometimes we need to be brought down with our world turned on it's head to see God's plans.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to see a singer named Chris August in concert. During his set he sang a song from his new album called "The Up Side of Down."

In his song he talks about the differences of being up and down in life. As he starts out he says "the down side of being up is my inside is empty of the thing I truly need...it is all about me." He continues on by saying the upside of down is we find ourselves closer to God, but as we find things going good we become a fair weathered friend forgetting where God brought us. Happiness can only be found through Jesus Christ.

As I listened to what Chris had to say, I couldn't agree more. When things are good we seem to take things from the perspective of 'God, oh ya, I will see him on Sunday,' but when all hell breaks loose and our lives are turned upside down we run as fast as we can into God's arms.

The truth is when our lives are turned upside down a transformation happens. We find our lives become less self dependent and more independent. You may think the word independent may not be the optimal word, but we become independent on our selfish desires, freedom, and more reliant on God's fullness for our lives. When we release our self dependence relying on God our faith becomes stronger by the day.

I look at Abraham and to be at a point of willing to sacrifice your son or move to a place with an undisclosed destination it doesn't come overnight rather as our reliance on God is building each day.

When we are willing to relent and trust God in all situations we open up a new blessing. As Jeremiah said "I will give gladness for your mourning and joy  for your sorrow." That comes only when we seek Him, humble ourselves admitting our need Him and His plans for our lives and move forward in faith.

God may my life, in both the times of sorrow as well as joy, bring you praise. May I find the upside in my times of being down as You are the giver of life even in the ashes.