Standing on Mountains

Life is not always a mountaintop experience. Circumstances can take us to a low place emotionally. When I am low, I often listen to the words of this moving song:

When I am down, and, oh, my soul, so weary,
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be.
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence;
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life, no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly.
But then you come, and I am filled with wonder.
Sometimes I think I glimpse eternity.

There are times when my soul is weary. Not just tired, but deep-down weary. Life sometimes brings us the kind of trials that have the power to bring us down. For some, it is illness. Others go through relationship struggles or financial challenges. Still others grieve the loss of a loved one. These are not usually short-term losses. Instead, they bring suffering for a season, often a very long season. Losing someone you love, for instance, brings on a lengthy grieving process, and many people mourn this kind of loss for years.

The song mentions being still and waiting in the silence. It is there that God comes to us with healing and a renewed spirit. The waiting is the hardest part for some of us. We desire instant fixes that move us past the pain quickly. But it just does not happen that way.

God allows mourning to be a process, and in the middle of that process, we grow and change, and eventually, are able to find joy and peace again. The song tells of being able to stand on mountains and walk on stormy seas, to be strong again and to become “more than I can be.” Those are miracles of grace that come from God alone.

I invite you to listen to this song’ “You Raise Me Up” on YouTube at the following link:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfwlj0gba_k