You Raise Me Up

I was sitting in church this morning when I looked at the date and I realized this: In less than two months I will have moved to Missouri and started my new job at Shelterwood. As my mind started thinking through everything I needed to do before then, I started panicking. I started thinking "Am I ready for this?! Am I really ready to move and leave everything I know?! How am I going to get everything done that I need to before I leave?! Can I really do this? I'm not so sure anymore."

I became overwhelmed pretty quickly. And then, a lady at my church sang this song while the offering was collected. As I listened to the words, my heart slowly became at peace. "When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary; When troubles come and my heart burdened be; Then I am still and wait here in the silence, until you come and sit awhile with me. You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;You raise me up to walk on stormy seas; I am strong when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up to more than I can be."

I realized this as I sat there: without Him, I am nothing. I realized that sometimes I begin to rely on other things such as counseling, friends, books, food, movies, etc. to be my "savior" and to "raise me up" from things I don't like or are painful instead of my actual Lord and Savior Jesus. And if I focus on the circumstances, and expect these other things to save me, I will be overwhelmed. I do not handle change well, and so while I fully sure that Shelterwood is where God is leading me next, it is still scary to be leaving everything I know. But I know this, that when I crumble in fear: God is raising me up to be more than I can be. I am strong when I am on his shoulders, he will raise me above anything that I face and help me to become exactly who I am supposed to be.

I also like thinking of this song from the perspective of other people in my life who raise me up. I LOVE my church. It is like one big family and just awesome. While it's not a huge church every week I meet someone new and its wonderful. My pastors and others from my church have definitely been ones to help "raise me up" over the past few months. I have learned so much in the short time I have been there and I will miss it more than words can say when I move.

I also have been "raised up" by friends and others. It is incredible to me how many people have stuck by me on this journey of life and pushed me to grow closer to my Lord and Savior.

So here is my random thought of the day for you: No matter what you are facing, God will raise you up to be more than you ever thought you could be. While sometimes I may still be afraid of what lies ahead, I know that His strength will get me through. And while I am sad to leave people and familiar faces and places behind, I know He will use these people in new ways to raise me up even from miles away and use new people in my new home all to raise me up to be more than I can be. And through that, I will accomplish God's purpose for me. And I couldn't ask for anything more than that!