Lifted Out of Despair

So many of you reading this will already know the sad news my mother and I received this week — our sweet dog, Jack, has cancer in his jaw. Thankfully he is unaware and gives no evidence of being in any pain whatsoever. He is just busy being happy. He healed from his previous jaw surgery for the broken bone, no doubt shattered easily because of the cancer. We can truly say that mishap was a blessing in disguise. We so hope the missing tooth episode has brought about early discovery, avoiding spread of the cancer to his lymphs and lungs, where it most often goes next. Thank you to all who are standing with us in prayer for our boy.

Yesterday as Jack and I were in the car heading to the park to play, an overwhelming sadness dropped on me like a pile of bricks. I felt pelted by sorrow. Tears filled my eyes as I began to wonder how many more times would we have to go play in the park or run in the woods or walk along the beach.

These thoughts of despair kept coming when it hit me; I need to crawl back up from the doldrums. After all, our arch enemy will seize upon this as an evil opportunity to make me sink further and further into doom and gloom. I called out to the Lord to help me. Then, ever sweetly, I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me to sing. What to sing? My mind raced to think of something when a childhood song came to mind — “He’s God The Whole World In His Hands.”

I started to sing this song with verses I remembered. Then I added my own version, singing, “He’s got Jack-A-Roo in His hands, He’s got the whole word in His hands.” I added another, “He’s got me and Mom, too, in His hands,” and back to “Jack-A-Roo,” again. All the way to the park I was singing loudly. I saw Jack in the rearview mirror, used to my joyful noises, looking right and left out the window in anticipation of arrival at the park. I hummed all the way around the fields, watching Jack trot happily here and there, enjoying running and sniffing pursuits.

Jack was blissfully happy in his ignorance of what is happening to him. Now I could be blissfully happy, too, even in my knowledge of what is happening to him. I could physically feel a burden lifting out of my chest as I realized I was breathing more deeply and easier. Praise in the One I trust, who loves me and Jack, too, replaced the dreadful thoughts that plagued me. There truly is power in praise. It returns our lost joy. It puts back into proper perspective the truth of Romans 8:28, “all things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose.”

I will be singing, “He’s got Jack-A-Roo in His hands,” for days to come, and I will smile, and bask in the joy of the Lord, for He is my strength.

May your burdens today be lifted with your own songs of praise, and may sweet joy replace sadness when it refuses to let go.

“I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble,” (Psalm 59:16).