through it all (lyrics) - Andrae Crouch

I've had many tears and sorrows,

I've had questions for tomorrow,

there's been times I didn't know right from wrong.

But in every situation,

God gave me blessed consulation,

that my trials come to only make me strong.

through it all,

through it all,

I've learned to trust in Jesus,

I've learned to trust in God.

through it all,

through it all,

I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I've been to lots of places,

I've seen a lot of faces,

there's been times I felt so all alone.

But in my lonely hours,

yes, those precious lonely hours,

Jesus lets me know that I was His own

I thank God for the mountains,

and I thank Him for the valleys,

I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.

For if I'd never had a problem,

I wouldn't know God could solve them,

I'd never know what faith in God could do

This past week was Thanksgiving and if I were to be completely honest with you, I haven't been very thankful.  It seems like everything that could go wrong has... and I have been left wondering, 

"Why me, God?"  

"Haven't I had enough?"

  "Haven't I suffered enough?"

 "Do you hear me?"

  "Do you see how tired I am?"

  "What about weakness, Do you see that God?"

  "I can't take much more."

As I drove home from church yesterday, this song was playing on my mom's CD player.  I had to pause to think... Do I thank God? for the mountains?  the valleys? the storms He brought me through?  What about the trials I am having right now?  Do I thank Him or do I shut Him out?  If I can be candid for a moment, I've shut Him out.  Since last Tuesday, I shut Him out.  I couldn't pray, praise or speak His name.  I have spent almost a week in the silence, in the dark, in the pain.  It is miserable there but after a while it is safe.  I don't have to think about the "whys" of life.  I can just simmer and be miserable.  

But as this song played and as I replayed the sermon from the service yesterday, I realized nothing is about me. Everything I have is a gift from God.  It is a blessing in disguise... sometimes so deep in disguise... but all of it: valleys, mountaintops, trials and storms are blessings.  They are gifts from God and it is what we do with these gifts that make the difference.  Each painful trial, each triumphant victory, each passing day is a gift to teach me to rely on Him and trust His word.