God Is Here

You're feeling at your lowest. You feel alone and it feels like no one cares about you or loves you. Then you come across the following words...

This is a crazy world
These can be lonely times
It's hard to know who's on your side
Most of the time

Who can you really trust
Who do you really know
Is there anybody out there
Who can make you feel less alone
Some times you just can't make it on your own

If you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, hmmm

If you have broken dreams
Just lay them all on me
I'll be the one who understands
So take my hand

If you reach emptiness

You know I'll do my best
To fill you up with all the love
That I can show someone
I promise you you'll never walk alone

Well if you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, oooo

Everybody needs somebody who
keep a heart and soul in two

Well if you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, Here I am

So who did you imagine saying these words to you? Well the words are actually those from the Leona Lewis song Here I Am, however whenever I listen to this song I like to imagine they are God's words to me.

Please close your eyes and listen to Leona Lewis singing this song, and imagine God saying the words to you. I hope you find reassurance and blessing from them, just as I have.

The official Leona Lewis website: http://www.leonalewismusic.co.uk/index.php/index

Tears

Do you have times when you feel nothing is going right for you?
Do you have times when you feel so alone?
Do you have times when you no one cares about you?
Are there times when you wonder if you can carry on?

If you've answered Yes to any of the above questions, you're not alone - I'm sure we've all had times when we've felt at least some of the above.

How did you cope when you felt like that? Or if you've never felt like that, how do you think you would cope?

The best way to cope in any situation is to give it to God and ask Him to give you the strength to get through.

Speaking from personal experience I can tell you that even when you might think no one is there for you and no one cares, you'll find that someone somewhere is thinking about you and praying for you, so don't despair. I have been there and know it can be very difficult but hang on to God, He will get you through your struggle often by sending you someone to help support you - that's what he did for me.

Don't ever be afraid to cry and show your feelings to others. I say this as one who finds it very difficult to show my emotions in front of others. But over the last while I've come to realise that sometimes you just have to let go completely and let others see you pain. You'll probably be surprised how much of a relief that will be - it certainly was for me!

When the laughter
Fails to comfort
When my heart aches
Lord are you there
When confusion is all around me
And the darkness
Is my closest friend
Still I will praise You
Jesus praise you

So don't ever lose sight of God. Don't stop trusting in God, He will get you through, maybe not in the way you expected, but He will get you through.

Visit Tim Hughes website: http://www.timhughesmusic.com/

Someone Cares

Well this post today is another tough one for me to write, simply because I'm not good at coping with showing my emotions publicly. Hopefully thought through something I say here it might touch a chord in someone else's heart too.

These last few days have been difficult for me as I've been feeling rather fragile emotionally - don't really know why, which in many ways just makes it harder to cope with.

On Thursday night at our band practice we were told what we'd be playing in our morning service today - two pieces both of which are special to me. I was also made aware of what our Songsters (adult choir) would be singing too, and that too was a song that always touches my heart. So by the time I got home from our practice on Thursday I was already worrying about how I'd manage to get through this mornings meeting without falling apart!

Before I go on, I want to say that although I'm about to talk this morning's service from my perspective, I want to point out that this was actually a very special day for one person this morning as they were making their public commitment to service God, by being enrolled as a soldier (member) of the Salvation Army.

Everything that happened in the meeting this morning, seemed to be directed specifically to me (although of course it was actually directed to all present!). For the music from the band, junior band and adult and junior choirs, to the congregational songs, testimony and the sermon itself.

Here's just some of the music from this morning:-

• Love Changes Everything - played by the band
• The Power of Your Love - congregational song
• Forever, I Do - sung by the singing company (junior choir)
• Be Still - played by the YP Band (junior band)
• Someone Cares - cornet solo played by the band
• All That I Am - sung by the the songsters (adult choir)

I'm sure you can tell even just by the titles of these pieces, that they are very powerful and emotional pieces of music.

I struggled through most of the meeting, feeling a bit emotional at various points, but found it very difficult to keep my emotions in check during part of the sermon, when the love and support of the folks at the corps was talked about. For those of you who don't know, these last few years have been difficult ones for me because of health issues - at times I felt so very alone and forgotten by many I worship with, having little or no contact with anyone from there during these times. I do know now though that while I maybe didn't have much direct contact with these folk during these years, they hadn't actually forgotten me as they continued to support me in prayer - for that I thank them sincerely.

So I think just all that talk of love and support during difficult times is what caused me to feel all emotional again as it just got me thinking about some of my lowest and loneliest times again; about how I'm currently feeling physically and emotionally; as well as what the future may hold.

I mentioned that the band played "Someone Cares", well that song has been a special favourite of mine since I first sang it as a congregational song, many years ago. It reminds us that no matter how we feel, or how lonely we feel at times, someone does care about us, God cares.

Do you sometimes feel that no one truly knows you,

And that no one understands or really cares?

Through his people, God himself is close beside you,

And through them he plans to answer all your prayers.

Someone cares, someone cares,

Someone knows your deepest need, your burden shares;

Someone cares, someone cares,

God himself will hear the whisper of your prayers.

Ours is not a distant God, remote, unfeeling,

Who is careless of our loneliness and pain,

Through the ministry of men he gives his healing,

In their dedicated hands brings hope again.

Someone cares, someone cares,
Someone knows your deepest need, your burden shares;
Someone cares, someone cares,
God himself will hear the whisper of your prayers.

Beautiful words, meaningful words, and words I can completely relate to, as I know someone does care about me.

Do you believe someone cares about you?

Hold onto the words of the above song as God does care about you and me:

Someone cares, someone cares,

Someone knows your deepest need, your burden shares;

Someone cares, someone cares,

God himself will hear the whisper of your prayers.