"Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting."
Psalm 147:1
A song of praise is fitting.
When it has been a long day, a song of praise is fitting.
When I am not feeling up to go out and love and extend myself, a song of praise is fitting.
When my heart is missing home, a song of praise is fitting.
When I'm irritated, a song of praise is fitting.
When it rains and our plans are changed, a song of praise is fitting.
When I'm happy and full of joy, a song of praise is fitting.
When I make new refugee friends, a song of praise is fitting.
When I get invited into a new home, a song of praise is fitting.
When it is easy to sing and be thankful, a song of praise is fitting.
As I grow to love the city I have been placed in for the summer, a song of praise is fitting.
Oh what encouragement and what a challenge this Psalm brings. It brings my focus back to where it needs to be. No matter how high or how low... God is faithful, and a song of praise is fitting.
This past week, an old Iraqi woman pushed a wheelchair full of laundry by. We will call her Amanda. I smiled and noticed how beautiful she was. As she passed back by later, I offered her a cup of water. She smiled and accepted and sat down beside me. Struggling through language barriers, we made conversation. Next thing I knew, my team and I had spent three hours in her home with she and her mother.
Her mother is old and sweet and speaks no English. She is sick and forced to stay at home. She has eight children still living, but Amanda is the only one close and the only one to take care of her. She is lonely. As we left that evening, Amanda urged us to come back. Her mother kept saying something in Arabic, and Amanda told us she was saying that us being in her home made her feel like a mother again.
What a beautiful friendship we have been given, a song of praise is fitting.
Please pray for us as we continue to grow our friendship and love our new friends.
Pray that our love will be genuine and they would come to know truth.
-Hannah