Or Maybe Not, Not Today

My classes are over for the summer and I am so excited to have time to just BE with my children. I have so many notes in my notebook and thoughts and feelings in my heart and head that I'd love to share, along with a few recipes, when I have a few minutes to post here and there. But I want to leave a quick thought and some beautiful music, OF COURSE.

This last week was a single adult conference (for anyone single 31 to death) and there were some workshops that are like BYU Education Week or Women's Conference classes, which I love. So I was happy I was able to attend those. The theme was "Be still and know that I am God". Several of the speakers talked about the importance of being patient with the Lord's timing and will and learning to live joyfully now, even as we are waiting for future blessings. Can you imagine why they'd say that to a big group of wanna-be- married-for-eternity-but-instead-alone people? But obviously this same message applies to all of us.

One of the wonderful classes was this group of women One Clear Voice (Tammy Simister Robinson, Johanne Frechette Perry, Tanya Barkdull, LaRene Tinney) who I had never heard before. They shared their beautiful voices and also a few thoughts and their testimonies. Powerful!


I could seriously write a post on every song, so listen to them all. One that they sang that has touched me so deeply is "Gratitude", song #11 above. You will know it's great when I tell you the song is by Nichole Nordeman if you know who she is. These women sing it so perfectly to send the message directly to my heart. I am working on having gratitude even and especially during trials. We all pass through very difficult times while on this earth, but there is no shortage of blessings during those struggles. In fact, if we look, we can find so much to be grateful for every day when "in the midst of affliction". We just have to use our faith in our Heavenly Father that the blessings He is giving us now are the ones we need now. Yeah, "just" that.


Gratitude
Lyrics and music by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need


So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .


We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .