Ya make me wanna SHOUT!

Yesterday my company hosted one of our semiannual food shows—a trade show that is the culmination of many months of work for me.

I could say so many things about the experience and that day.  Like how beyond blessed I am to have so many faithful brothers and sisters who were praying for me before and during the event!  Or how faithful the Lord was in keeping me calm and grounded.  Like how encouraging it was to have my mom there with me working diligently and serving me…and how everyone thought we were sisters and not mother and daughter.  I could write what I learned about the importance of thanking people and how valuable it is to give compliments.  Or about how sometimes you just have to go in for the hug and not the handshake.

I could talk about all of those mercies, but I want to testify about something else.

There is little exaggeration when I say that I have been working for the past 72 hours straight—in the office on the Sabbath and working from (before) sun up to (after) sun down the last two days, including one 4:15am wake-up call.  As I drove in to the office by myself at a more normal hour this morning, I realized something that I have been missing the last three days:

Shouting.

All out, veins popping out of the neck, red in the face, move ya body to the beat, I now have a sore throat shouting.  God has been faithful and close in my last three marathon work days, but in the midst of all of my business and busyness I have neglected my routine of just letting it #GO for the Lord (usually done in my truck with the volume “allllllll the waaay turnt up”—anyone?).

There is a time to be quiet and still.  To lay face down before the Lord and say nothing.  To let His Word speak gently to my spirit.  And some people meet God most tangibly in those places.  But I love that the Bible also confirms the need I have to shout:

I have to “sing and make music” to “AWAKE MY SOUL” (Psalm 57:7-8)!  I NEED to “sing aloud of Your steadfast love in the morning, for You have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress” (Psalm 59:16).  Sometimes I feel like there is nothing else my heart can do but “burst in to jubilant song” (Psalm 98:4).

The fun thing about freedom is that my soul can rise to any beat.  This morning I pumped my favorite gospel jams and chased it with some Beyonce “Countdown,” all the while “proclaiming from the roofs” (Matthew 10:27) the goodness of our King!

I remember my favorite part about serving in kids’ ministry was the worship, because of how my heart was filled with joy by getting to literally shout at the top of our lungs and “GO CRAZYYY!!!”…there was something really real about that.

Make time to shout.  Loudly.  And be filled, for HIS glory and purposes!