turn this thing around

 There's a relatively new song that gets played on K~LOVE quite a bit. It is called, "God, Turn it Around," by John Reddick. It's a simple, catchy tune that I've found myself singing a lot since it was first released last year. There's always been something about it that has bothered me just a bit, though, and until this morning I wasn't exactly sure what it was.

The lyrics basically amount to this:

I'm praying God come
And turn this thing around
God, turn it around

I'm calling on the name
That changes everything, yes

All of my hope
Is in the name
The name of Jesus
Breakthrough will come
Come in the name
The name of Jesus

He is up to something
God is doing something right now

He is healing someone
He is saving someone
God is doing something right now

He is moving mountains
Making a way for someone
God is doing something right now

 I've left out a decent amount of the repetition, but you get the picture. Great song, right? The thing is, this morning when it came on the radio I realized what it is that bothers me--as wonderful as the lyrics are, they seem focused entirely on circumstances.

Don't get me wrong, I fully believe God can change circumstances. He still sends miracles of healing. He is still moving mountains for people. He is still working every day all around the world. But from my own personal experience, I've found that God doesn't usually choose to change my circumstances.

Instead, He uses my circumstances to change me.

Life has thrown some pretty decent curveballs my way. I can assure you, the vast majority of those were circumstances I prayed for God to change. I prayed for Him to turn the bad around and make it good. I prayed for Him to move mountains. I prayed for Him to clear the road ahead and make a way.

More often than not, He chose to make a way that led me through the darkness. He chose to leave the mountain in place and tell me that His plan was for me to climb it. He chose to leave my circumstances the way they were so that He could make me turn around.

We are in the middle of dark times here in the United States, times I never really imagined I would see. This is an election year, which brings chaos of its own, but this year feels different. This year, it really seems like nothing about November will make anything better. I fear our nation has passed the point of no return, and that things will only continue to get darker. Yes, I will continue to pray for God to change our circumstances. I will pray for our nation to repent and turn back to Him. I will pray for God to bring His light to a dark land and change the hearts and minds of those in positions of leadership all across the nation.

More than that, though, I will pray for God to change me through my circumstances. I will pray that I will learn to trust in Him rather than princes. I will pray that I will rely on Him to provide my daily bread instead of putting my faith in my own provision. I will pray that He will draw my family closer to Him through anything and everything we face in a world that is growing increasingly dark, so that we can shine as His lights in a dark land.

So maybe, this is the song I'll focus on instead:

I'll find a way to praise You
From the bottom of my broken heart
'Cause I think I'd rather strike a match than curse the dark
Yeah, I'll find a way to thank You
Though the bitterness is real and hard
'Cause I'd rather take a chance on hope than fall apart

I don't think I'm ready to surrender to the dark

Even if my daylight never dawns
Even if my breakthrough never comes
Even if I'll fight to bring You praise
Even if my dreams fall to the ground
Even if I'm lost, I know I'm found
Even if my heart will somehow say
Hallelujah anyway

Yeah, I hear a hymn of triumph
In thе wilderness of my lament
In thе lowlands or the mountain tops, I won't forget
All that goodness that You have shown me
The promises that You have kept
There's better days on the horizon up ahead

("Hallelujah Anyway" by Rend Collective)