Can you dance in the rain?

Storm while at sea

My last few posts I talked a little about the struggles we've been going through.  I've wondered if the rain will ever end.  It seems that we'll have few days of sunshine and then the storm comes again.  I had a dream a few months ago about being on a cruise ship that ran aground.  Yes, it was before the Costa shipwreck happened.  In my dream Charlie and I were up on the Lido deck as the boat was turning over, but we were right at a part of the Lido deck that was covered.  (if you've been on a cruise ship then you know the Lido deck is usually half covered/half open). Charlie was thrown from the ship into the water and I was hanging on to a railing.  The water started rising and I was stretched out as far as I could go still hanging on to the railing but trying to breath.  I was scared to death I was going to drown.  Charlie was able to swim back to me and he said "Krista it's going to be okay.  Just don't let go of me."  He said "We have to swim down under this water and over the railings.  Then we'll be out in the open water and we'll be okay."  I woke up and I knew that life was going to get really bad but that if we stayed together then we'd be okay. 

Last Wednesday afternoon Charlie was laid off from his job.  He had an awesome job that we have been very thankful for.  It was very unexpected as two other people have been hired since he was but we know God controls it all.  Now we are both laid off and we don't really know what we are going to do.  Charlie has already started looking for other opportunities and a couple may turn out to be good.  The only thing I know to do is trust in the Lord. 

I'm still going to do what I said I do last week.  As long as the Lord gives me strength you'll find me praising Him!  I know that he'll make this a blessing.  I'm not sure how and I'm not sure when but he will.  We may have to swim down into the murky water but we will come back up again.  Then we'll be in the open waters and be able to swim freely! 

My Mother used to tell us when we were younger to go ahead and Thank God for what he's going to do.  So that's what I'm going to do.  I'm going to Thank Him and I'm going to Praise Him.  If I know my God then our end will be better than the beginning.  Worrying is human nature but I am going to do my best to let God handle this one.  It is beyond my control anyway! 

Praise His Name

By Jeff & Sherri Easter

When you're up against a wall
And your mountain seems so tall
And you realize that life's not always fair
You can run away and hide
Let the old man decide
Or you can change your circumstances with a prayer

When everything falls apart
Praise his name
When you have a broken heart
Raise your hands and say
Lord, you're all I need
You're everything to me
And he'll take the pain away
When you feel you're all alone
Praise his name
And you feel all hope is gone
Raise your hands and say
Greater is he that is within me
And you can praise the hurt away
If you'll just praise his name

Ohhh,
You can overcome
By the blood of the lamb
And by the word of your testimony
You'll see the darkness go
As your faith begins to grow
You're not alone, so how can you be lonely