Mourning into Dancing

This song popped into my head today and can I just say, it’s funny how sometimes the songs you least want to sing are the ones you need most:

This is How We Overcome-Mourning into Dancing by Hillsong

Up until the last week I really hadn’t experienced much homesickness. But this week, it hit me pretty hard. It’s probably a combination of being in the hospital without the family, being tired, feeling like I don’t know what I’m doing, and missing the easiness of some parts of life in the States that is contributing to this sadness. I know that “a cheerful heart is good medicine and a crushed spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22),” but some days it’s really hard to move past the flurry of emotions that comes with working overseas.

It was totally a God thing that I ended up watching the video for this song rather than just listening to it. There’s a part where they sing “This is how we overcome” and they make this “raise the roof” motion with their hands. At first this just looked silly to me and I wanted to laugh. But then I thought about what this posture means. It’s lifting your arms to God and with each pumping of the arms you’re pressing the praise back into His court. None of it belongs to me. And He is deserving of my praise regardless of the kind of day I’ve had. This is one of the weirder things I’ve done alone and I’m glad my roommates weren’t around when I gave it a try to see what it felt like. I felt awkward at first, raising my hands to God…by myself…in my room…watching a youtube video. But it was actually medicating as I began to think of more reasons that I could lift my hands in the air and praise my God in the midst of my homesickness. I’ve been able to bless people through prayer. I’ve received so much care from our church family and Leyla and Prospero. I am receiving peace that passes all understanding as I come before God and ask him to comfort me. I’m glad that God doesn’t ask us to forget about our problems and just move on. He invites us to lay our burdens on Him and find rest (Matt 11:28-30). Sometimes it’s hard to praise God when your sadness and anxieties are at the forefront of your thoughts. But try it—and watch Him turn your mourning into dancing!

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! –Psalm 30:11-12