Worship God Through It

Noah’s act of worship in Genesis 8:18-21 teaches us how our worship is simply a gift we offer to the God we love.

I am still fascinated by a young woman I saw while riding the bus a few years back. She didn’t notice me sneaking peaks at her. The bus was not too full this afternoon. She sat in one of the front, aisle facing seats. When I boarded the bus, I sat diagonal from her with a clear view. I always notice other Black females in any setting. It lets me know I’m not alone. I noticed her right away.

Her skin was brown coffee like mine. Her hair was thick and blown out from its probable coily texture. She was definitely younger than me. She was reading something intently. Ever so often, she would close her eyes and silently mouth something. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and returned to what she was reading. At first, I though she was Muslim until I saw and sensed something beautifully familiar. She closed her eyes and smiled as she lifted her hands. She mouthed something still inaudible. But I recognized it. This girl was in very deep and personal worship.

Worship Anywhere

It had only been a couple months since my car was repossessed. (Follow that story here.) Though I understood why it happened, I was still a bit angry with God because he continued to tell me about a life I would have that looked nothing like what I was living. I was desperately trying to hold on to hope. My prayers were centered around one verse.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

I prayed this verse daily. But getting on the bus at 4:30am for work made it seem as if God wasn’t hearing my prayers. Then I saw this young woman in worship.

I was in awe. The way she dismissed the looks of other passengers was bold and admirable. I wanted to defend her when I saw two young people sitting across from her. They looked at her with annoyed eyes. I glared at them with disgust but quickly realized this young lady did not need my help. She was focused on what she was doing. She was focused on her King.

The bus stopped at a transfer point where she got off. I watched her until she walked out of sight. I could not get her off my mind for the rest of the evening. We were both on the bus. I knew nothing about her life. But I know she had enough boldness to worship God regardless of her circumstances or surroundings.

Worship Anyway

That young woman still crosses my mind. She was not putting on a show or forcing anything on anyone. Her actions were genuine. Her love was sincere. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know what she had been through to enable her to be so carefree with her worship. Maybe, she had been through nothing at all. Maybe she just knew the one with whom she was so deeply in love.

I love God with every fiber of my being. And he loves me. That love, alone, makes him worth my worship. He shows his love in every breath I take. So, why not use that breath to speak of the beauty of his creation, the greatness of his power or the wonder of his love. Even as I go through the storms of life, God is holy. Yet in his holiness, he still loves me.

And for that reason, I will worship God through the storm.