Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year: Since Herod, Caesar, and many more, you never heard the like before. Holy-dayes are despis'd, new fashions are devis'd.

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; let them also be merry and joyful. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; exalt Him who rides upon the heavens; YAHWEH is His Name, rejoice before Him! Father of orphans, defender of widows, God in His holy habitation! Psalm 68:3–5

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

So after work yesterday I had to stop at the downtown post office to mail a registered letter for Manuel. And I was sort of in the middle of the conversation among the rather older people around me. The woman behind me was explaining how a coffee shop had free newspapers, so now she was reading the Wall Street Journal every single morning and discovering what a horrible mess everything was, in fact the world was turned upside down. And the older gentleman in front of me looked surprised, and explained in a decidedly British accent that was the title of a song from the Revolutionary War, an English song, lamenting the disgraceful and ungodly ways of this upstart and greedy Congress that was bringing blood and pain and death to all that was wholesome and good.

Perspective.

The world turn’d upside down.

So yesterday I pulled a young lady aside for a little chat. And admittedly the candle-lit responsive reading chapel service is pretty different from her foster family’s seven-days-a-week Hallelujah hand-clapping church service expectations. But I reminded her that her seat-kicking back-poking squiggle squirming and loud burping takes away from the main point, to worship God and give Him the glory.

And the Spirit pulled me aside this morning, for a little chat as well. And admittedly the world is turn’d upside down ever since that first fruit bite back in the garden. But without a doubt I am letting the metaphorical uncomfortable folding chairs of life take away from the main point, to worship God and give Him the glory.

And one of the blogging folk in my life, Phil Drysdale, let loose a battle cry this morning, to war against negativity. A forty-day fast of intentionality, choosing for merry and joyful and a rejection of murmuring and complaining. A fast from reacting and giving voice to pessimism and criticism and unbelief and for determining to focus more on promises and hope. Because that is what that original hissing accusation of the Enemy was all about, questioning God and His love and power.

And Sunday when I sat and stared at that question that Mary Anne passed out with her sermon, What is it that you really long for?, the cry of my heart was for a renewed spirit and restored joy, Thus let me be glad and rejoice before God.

With a big Sharpie reminder, lest I forget.

YAHWEH is His Name.