A Place Prepared: Praise God In The Hallway

How do we praise and worship God when life feels stuck? Learn how to praise God in the Hallway of your life and worship Him even in life's difficult moments.

***This Post Contains Affiliate Links. All opinions are my own***

When all is well in life, it's much easier for a Christian to praise God. We are thankful for finances that are in order, a blessed marriage, good kids, a good job, etc. But when we lose our job, our house is repossessed, our loved ones get sick or disappoint us, or our children turn to destructive habits, it's not as easy.

As a kid, I never realized how blessed I was- not really anyway. No, things weren't perfect, but I really didn't have too much to worry about. My parents were together, supported me, took care of me, and taught me important things. I was also supported by my grandparents, and extended family. I had good friends and mostly positive life experiences.

And while all of that is really still true, I have learned more about what it means to struggle- and I have become more aware of the struggles of others too.
It's hard when you hit that point in life when you realize that you truly can't fix anything. I want to fix my own problems and the problems of others too. But at the end of the day all I can do is work hard, do my best, and leave the rest to God.

I wish I could tell you that this comforted me, because it should. But since I tend to have a controlling and "fix it" nature, I have a hard time remembering that I can only do so much. But what's amazing is that God has a plan and purpose for everything.

Even when I have to wait. Even when I can't fix it (whatever it is), and even when the wait feels far too long, God has a plan. And that is a comforting truth.

About a month ago, my sweet friend Julie of The Hallway Initiative published an ebook on this very subject. I had the pleasure of doing some of the editing for it and I am so thankful for her, for that experience, and for her book. She truly knows what it means to have to wait. To not be able to fix the problems she desperately wants to fix. To learn what it means to praise God in the hallway when no doors are opening.

Julie wasn't expecting all the trials she would have to face, but each one prepared her well for the next, and God has had a perfect plan for it all. The same is true for every follower of Jesus. The wait and the trial is not fun, but there is a purpose. So today I want to share a few truths and quotes from A Place Prepared  (Julie's Book) with you. I hope they will encourage you to keep on praising God no matter what life has looked like for you lately.

A Place Prepared: Finding Peace in God's Perfect Plan

By: Julie More

"I hadn’t yet learned that there can be a kind of beauty in learning to wait well."

"Most of all, I know from God’s Word that everything He does is for our good and His glory.  I’ve had to learn to be content in knowing that God is working all things for my good, whether or not He answers my “why.” 

"Without even being asked, Pastor came over with a damp towel and began cleaning my hand, removing all traces of the blood and the mess. His quiet, unassuming manner and the way in which he simply served where needed gave me a powerful picture of Christ washing His disciples’ feet.

Washing my bloody hand wasn’t a pleasant job; I’m not sure I could have done it for someone else in my place. But it was, once again, a clear reminder that no matter how yucky life is, the Lord is there, revealing Himself in ways I’d never dream of."

"Here on Earth, it doesn’t matter whether or not we learn the answers to our questions.  What matters is that we keep our eyes on Christ, that we trust Him to hold whatever answers we seek, and that we wait with patience when He chooses not to immediately reveal those answers." 

Friends, I don't know what you are going through, and I am not going to pretend I have all the answers. Neither does Julie. But God does. And I firmly believe that God blessed Julie's writing of this book, and I believe it will be (and has already been) a blessing to others.

God really does have a plan, even when we cannot see it. God really does offer His peace to us no matter what we are going through- we just need to reach out and grab it. God really does prepare us in advance for all that will come at us. And there is always reason to praise God in the hallway!

If you are interested in Julie's book, A Place Prepared, you can click this link to get your copy. She is awesome, her book is awesome, and you won't regret buying it!