Praying Through Pain: Moving From Grief to Praise a 10 - Day Plan by Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Ph.d.Sample

Day 9

Pivoting to Praise

If you are a basketball fan, you will be familiar with the term “pivot.” The pivot is a masterful move that allows a player to move around with one foot (the pivot foot) while using the other foot to stay steady. The expression “pivoting into praise” captures well the move we must make during and after we have asked God for the answers we seek.

Often as we strive to accept God’s sovereignty in our affairs, we may still feel hurt that what God has allowed us to go through has come at too great a cost. We exist in a space of tension between struggle and surrender. We may straddle the line between questioning and complaining to God one minute, even as we attempt to reposition ourselves into praise and trust. This is the place where the pivoting metaphor is most appropriate. Despite the losses which may remain present with us for a long time (that steady foot), we begin to reposition ourselves (the other foot) so that we can continue to advance in the direction of God’s leading in our lives.

The key to making this move is to reflect and rely on what we know about God and past victories. We know that God is good! We have compelling evidence of His goodness. We see evidence of His goodness in this created world which He has given us to enjoy. We see evidence of His provisions in our life every time we breathe in and out, and every time light enters our eyes, we can behold the beauty of color and the natural world. And though we may not ever be able to see God's divine workings behind painful chapters in our lives on this side of the journey, we can be confident that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

God’s perfect plan for our lives did not involve pain, but in this sin-infected world, loss happens to us all. Still, a good and loving God weaves the dark threads of loss into the golden tapestry design He has for our lives to create a masterpiece. It is with this understanding that we can move to surrender and then on to praise.

Reflect:

Reflect on the faithfulness of God despite life challenges. Has he answered prayers for you in the past? Take some time to remember and praise Him for his faithfulness.