{SCRLLC14} Scripture Lesson #9, Broken Hallelujah

First, I want to thank you all for your prayers for me as I have experienced this unknown health issue. Your prayers truly mean the world to me, and I thank you all!

For today's lesson, I have a bit of a story for you. And I hope this isn't all over the place and that you can connect it all. LOL! So, let's get started. As we were on vacation last week, I went on my first bike ride on the beach the morning after we arrived. I love to be on the beach no later than 7 a.m., and I just ride. Sometimes I am alone, sometimes I am with the family or just a couple of the kids. We ride until at some point we stop to pray then turn around to head back to the house. Well, as I began this very first ride, God put a desire on my heart. I wanted to find a large conch shell. I have never collected shells or wanted one but all of a sudden there was this desire. And not 2 minutes later, I found a large one. In fact, it's the largest I have ever seen in the 25 years we have been going to this beach. I was SO excited and ready to keep it until I turned it over. Yes, you guessed it, there was a snail inside. He was very far from the water, and it was low tide. God never intended for me to keep this shell. He wanted me to return it to the ocean. So, I picked up this beautiful guy and returned him to the water.

For the rest of the week, I still had the desire for a conch shell. Every one we found was small and filled with a snail. So, on Thursday, I asked God if I could please find an empty shell and that He make it obvious to me that it was empty so that I could keep it. Well, you guessed it, I came across one. Not nearly as large but it was upside down, broken on the side, and very obviously empty. I picked it up, put it in my basket, and began to cry. I said "Lord, this is what You wanted me to see. This is just like me. I am broken without You." I voiced that out loud and one of my girls said "I wondered when you were going to put two and two together." Smart girl. LOL! Anyway, sometimes I don't know what to pray; He does! Sometimes I feel so broken as I go through a trial but once through it, I can usually see His amazing, wonderful purpose. When I don't rely on Him, I can be very rude and mean. I am broken!

And as I thought about the broken shell and my brokenness, He then put today's song on my heart—"Broken Hallelujah" by The Afters. I began to sing it out loud, and I cried my eyes out. Thankfully the beach is always empty this time of day because I was a mess singing this out loud, riding my bike, and crying. I was a sight! But honestly, He is where I need to turn at all times—when I don't know what to pray, when I don't understand a situation, when I try to rely on self and fail so miserably, etc. I need to always turn to Him! He is there waiting. Why don't I do it?

Before you read any further, I encourage you to click here and listen to the Official Lyric Video of "Broken Hallelujah." And now that you have done that, let's look at the lyrics up close with a few scriptures. The lyrics are in quotes below.

"I can barely stand right now

Everything is crashing down

And I wonder where You are

I try to find the words to pray

I don't always know what to say

But You're the one who can hear my hear"

Romans 8:26-27 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

Hebrews 7:24-26 "But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens."

God gave me Romans 8:26-27 on Monday, May 12th. I was told that the soonest I could get in to see the specialist about my health issue was mid-June. I cried because I knew I could not wait that long. God knew it too because within two hours, the phone rang. It was the specialist's office asking if I was available on May 14th (just two days later) to come in and be seen by the doctor! I did nothing! It was ALL God. He knew I needed to be seen before June. He intervened. Even my family doctor asked how I managed to get in within two days. I told her it had nothing to do with me but it was all God that miraculously made it happen!

"Even though I don't know what Your plan is

I know You make beauty from these ashes"

Jeremiah 29:11-12 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.'"

"I've seen joy and I've seen pain

And on my knees I call Your name

Here's my broken Hallelujah

With nothing left to hold onto

I raise these empty hands to You

Here's my broken

Here's my broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You know the things that have brought me here

You know the story of every tear

'Cause You've been here from the very start

Even though I don't know what Your plan is

I know You make beauty from these ashes"

Job 16:19-21 "Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man He pleads with God as one pleads for a friend."

Revelation 19:6b "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns."

When you are hurting, when you don't know where to turn, will you turn to Him and joyfully give Him praise trusting that He knows what you are going through and that He will use it for His good?

For my 6x6 page today, I used the Job 16:19-21 verses. I just loved how it really went with this song and what has been going on in my life. I also used the new amazing Blue Fern Studios papers called Ombre Dreams along with the Blue Fern chipboard piece called Jeweled Trinkets.

Blue Fern Studios papers: Ombre Dreams Shannon's Dream and Dream Cards 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink gathered twigs 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Jeweled Trinkets (painted with gesso, Luminarte pink grapefruit, and Shimmerz Paint caribeean sunset) 
Embellishments: Prima Soubrette B and pink/orange, Petaloo pistachio burlap blossoms and ivory faux dried minis, My Mind's Eye alpha stickers, Kaisercraft hot pink pearls, Wild Orchid Crafts leaves, misc. cheesecloth, sewing machine
Sketch: Flying Unicorn Mojo Monday Sketch 5.19.14

Remember to use Keyword SCRLLC14 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Have a wonderful week ahead!