By Cherrilynn Bisbano @bisbanowrites
“When you don’t know what to do, do what you know.”
I heard the saying from a pastor as I listened to the television, knees to my chest, and tears soaking my shirt.
My best friend’s mother tumbled down a flight of stairs and died. I spent my high school years at their house, and experience many adventures with them. She was like my second mom. This tragedy occurred on the heels of five deaths of close friends and family.
I didn’t know what to do. I was numb.
I mustered the strength and turned to the best place I know for answers. THE WORD OF GOD!
“Lord, you need to guide me. I want to do your will.”
I think and teach with acrostics, it helps my aging brain remember. Can you relate?
Like our heavenly Father always does, He answered in a powerful way and
I must share with you what I learned so when you experience writers block, grief, or indecision, God’s W.I.L.L. is just an acrostic away.
God’s W.I.L.L.
- Worship God- I bet you thought I was going to inform you to “just write.”
- Instruction from God
- Lean on God
- Love like God
Each of these points is important, so I will cover them individually over the next four months.
WORSHIP
The Lord’s prayer is a guideline Jesus gave the disciples. I bet your reciting it in your head now.
“Our Father who art in heaven Hollowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
STOP. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. What does this prayer have to do with worship?
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
What are the angels doing In Heaven? They are continually worshiping God.
Night and day they call to one another, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”
I imagined the warmth of His holiness penetrating my inner soul. Joy was fleeting.
“It’s easy to praise you in the good times, but what about the difficult times, like I’m experiencing.”
The Holy Spirit impressed on my heart the story of apostle Paul and Silas being thrown into prison for proclaiming the truth. I imagined their anguish.
They were naked, bleeding, probably hypothermic, and thrown into the inner prison, where it’s dark and cold. They were shackled to the wall, and they couldn’t hug themselves to stay warm.
What did they do in their weakness and pain?
They worshiped God and their chains fell off and the doors opened.
I stood and sang Holy, holy, holy, during my studies. I scared the cat.
However, the cloud of doom left, and the joy of the Lord filled my spirit. Yes, my heart still aches for all the loss, but I have hope.
Worship is a powerful, life-changing part of God’s will. When you find yourself stuck in sadness or wrestling with writers block. Do what you know—WORSHIP.
Please share a time when worship transformed your emotions. Join the conversation.
Cherrilynn is an award-winning writer, speaker, and coach. She loves encouraging her brothers and sister to stand firm and shine for Jesus. She is an expert in Book Proposals and memoirs. You can find her with her son, Michael at Guitar center or at the beach sea glass hunting.
Cherrilynn is a chaplain and ordained minister. She is an award-winning writer, speaker, and coach. She loves encouraging her brothers and sister to stand firm and shine for Jesus. She is an expert in Book Proposals and memoirs. She teaches writing at Christian Leaders Institute. Her book Shine Don’t Whine is helping many women overcome, fear, anxiety, perfectionism, and worry. She considers it an honor to be published twice in Chicken Soup for the Soul-; Award-winning books, Kiss Guilt GoodBye, Heart Reno, Breaking the Chains, Love Knots 3, and Get to the Margins Author’s Anthology.
Her book Shine Don’t Whine- won the Writer to Writer publishing contract was published in 2020. You can find her with her son, Michael at Guitar center or at the beach sea glass hunting. Her newest release, Experience Immanuel Daily, ignites a desire for readers to draw close to God.
Cherrilynn proudly served in the military for twenty years, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award. She lives with her seventeen-year-old son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 25 years, Michael, Sr. She loves Christ, chocolate, coffee, and cats.
The Conversation
What a beautiful reminder, Cherrilynn. We never need to traverse those hard times alone. Love you, my friend.
Thank you for your post. In my first book, I share the story of a time 25 years ago when depression due to a bizarre situation literally flattened me to the floor of my home office until the worship team arrived to rehearse in the living room of our home (the parsonage). Hearing the praise rise helped ME rise as well.