God Is My Constant

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2

God is my constant
In the ups and downs of life,
He's there in jubilant times
As well as during strife.

In jubilant times
My heart is replete;
A mountaintop joy
That feels so sweet.

But then I'm hit
With the lowest of lows;
I can hardly breathe
As I sort through the blows.

How do I navigate through
Such polarizing feeling
Coming at the same time,
And leaves my heart reeling?

The world is full of ups and downs,
Throwing curve balls at us
When we least expect it
And causing such a fuss.

But God is our constant,
An unchanging force to count on;
We may be on a rollercoaster,
But He's our steady calm.
 
When we set our minds on Him,
He helps us find a place,
To sit in all the feelings
And find some breathing space.

Have you ever experienced mountaintop highs and valley lows at the same time? I recently had a month like that. In the midst of preparing for and celebrating my daughter’s wedding, three precious souls in my life passed on to heaven. So many emotions were flooding my heart. At a time of great joy for my daughter, I was experiencing tremendous loss. How could I be present with all these feelings demanding attention? I carried my bag of emotions to God and poured my heart out to Him. (Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 22) I felt a calmness flood my soul as I relied on Jesus to be present where I was at each day. I was able to fully enjoy time with my daughter and entertain guests in the weeks ahead of the wedding. I was fully present and filled with joy as we celebrated the union of my daughter and new son-in-law. Now I have space to mourn the loss of dear friends and come alongside their family members.

It was difficult to process such polarizing emotions. How can I be laughing and celebrating, when friends and family members are experiencing a great loss? How can I be sad and mournful when my daughter is getting married? But God tells us it’s okay to feel both, and that there’s a time and place for each emotion. (Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15) He’s showing us how to be present in the moment.

Life is full of rollercoaster moments. We can’t always be on the mountaintop, and God doesn’t leave us in the valley. The mountaintop experiences give us hope while we’re in our valley. Because of our valley times, our mountaintop experiences keep us humble and grateful to God. It’s a balance that keeps us connected to God. We’re grateful to Him in times of jubilance, and we lean on Him in times of despair. (I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13)

We can get so focused on what’s happening around us that our emotions can get the better of us. But if we set our minds on God, He centers us. (Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2) The world is unpredictable, full of joys and sorrows at any given moment. But we can rely on God during the good times and the bad, because He is never changing. God is our constant.

Dear Father, thank you for being a steady rock through the rollercoaster times of life. You are with us in the good times and the bad. Thank you for being our constant. Amen