The Cost of Praise

Growing up in Haiti, I did not have an exercise regime.

I exercised most of the day by necessity through the various duties, activities, and responsibilities I carried. I walked miles and miles to school and back. Then I would come home to help cook, clean, and care for my younger siblings.

Now that I have grown older and life is different living in the United States of America, I find it necessary for my health to go back to the exercise of my childhood. It is hard for me to start walking, though I enjoy it once I begin.

I often walk at a nearby park where I am comfortable.

I bring my music and sing along, using American Sign Language (ASL), the unique language of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

I learned ASL as a young adult. My walks often take me along various spots in the park where my now-deceased sister, Gina, and I would walk and talk, especially during the last few months before she died. There have been times when the memory of her, mingled with mourning, would take my breath away, and I bent low in agony and anguish. But the songs of hope and victory comfort me as I lift my hands to praise the One who holds me through it all. As I walk and sign, it may appear that I have lost my mind. But the truth is, I am praying and praising God. His heart and mine are attached by an invisible, indestructible thread, which keeps me steady in solitude, sadness, and sorrow. First Samuel 1 records the story of Hannah, who prayed so desperately and fervently for God to give her a child. The priest Eli misunderstood her cries and thought she was drunk, but she was just pouring out her heart to the Lord (verses 14, 15).

Mary Magdalene poured out her gratitude by washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair as she anointed them with the perfume of praise to the One who saved her from sins (Luke 7:37, 38). She must have looked strange to others, but Jesus saw her heart. My sisters, when life is hard, stay connected to the Savior.

Pray consistently and praise God—no matter how it may seem to others. The Lord sees us. He knows the worth and the weight of our worship, and He loves us.

Rose Joseph Thomas