Pull Yourself Together

Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11) 

My father used to tell me this all the time, “Pull yourself together!” Because I never knew why I was falling apart, I often couldn’t even begin to think about how to pull it all back together again. During different periods of my life, I can now look back and identify the catalysts for many of my meltdowns. (Aging seems to help us see things from a different perspective.)

Even after my father had his stroke (at age 48), he was a hero in my eyes. I often wonder how my life would have been different had he been around longer. In him, I saw strength and persistence and great faith. His stroke took his speech, and gave him paralysis on his left side. He could not speak but if you put any music in front of him, he could sing it clearly and understand every word. What a tenor voice he had! When he passed, the town shut down and the service was one song after another.

He lost his patience often and became extremely frustrated when he could not communicate his thoughts. However, without words, I knew when he was pleased with me or when I had displeased him. No words were needed; I felt it.

Today, when I have to pull myself together, I must get quiet, stop talking, planning, thinking, analyzing and instead, seek His Presence. No words are needed; I just feel it.

Please listen to and follow the words to this beautiful song.

That’s What My Father Would Do with Al Denson

The moment my father came in
He saw in my eyes that I'd failed again
But with just a few words and his touch
He said that I was his child and he'd never give up
On the person he knew I could be
Cause my father believed in me

That's what my Father would do
He'd say my love is stronger
Than anything you're going through
My arms are waiting for you
And though it seems too good to be true
That's just my Father
And that's what my Father would do

All of us wish that we had
The love that we need from that kind of dad
And I'd just like to show you the way
To reach out to the Father who's waiting today
For the chance just to let you know
That His heart longs to hold you close

That's what my Father would do
He'd say my love is stronger
Than anything you're going through
My arms are waiting for you
And though it seems too good to be true
That's just my Father
And that's what my Father would do