Blessed Be Your Name

While running tonight, I listened to the song "Blessed Be Your Name" by Tree63. My heart is always inspired when I hear these lyrics -

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name


This song is so special to me because of the circumstances in my life at the time I first heard it. I was at one of my lowest points dealing with infertility - we had just been told we had a ultra-low (think less than 5%) chance of conceiving on our own, and my body had once again failed to respond well to fertility injections. My heart was crying out for hope, crying out for something to cling to from the Lord.

I was driving home from the University of Iowa hospital and this song came on the radio. I almost had to pull over I was so moved by these lyrics. The Holy Spirit really used these lyrics to speak to my spirit - I was reminded that no matter what happens in my life, God is still God, and it's a matter of my heart choosing to praise His name, regardless of my life circumstances. It's really a choice, isn't it? For my heart to choose to say, "blessed be your name" - it doesn't just happen.

Job, the original author of these words, still chose to praise the Lord, even after horrific events. Almost 3 years ago my heart was convicted to do the same - praise the name of the Lord, even on the road marked with suffering.

And tonight, I was once again that it is a *choice* to praise the Lord; praise should not be a by-product of my life circumstances going well. So even if I'm never able to get pregnant - or become easily pregnant - again, my heart will choose to say: "blessed be your name".