I could not find any words last week to write a blog. All of my words had been used up in tough verbal conversations with others and in jumbled mental conversations in my head. I had nothing left to give. This was a first for me after 93 blog posts. When I woke up that morning I struggled to type some words on the screen but they just would not come. All that appeared on the screen was the endlessly blinking (and annoying) cursor.
A blog and a ministry called “Living the Life Transparent” is an interesting thing. It forces me to constantly balance on a very thin wall. On one side of the wall is my life and the challenge to be transparent with my personal struggles, my personal relationship with God and my personal journey through life.
On the other side are other people’s lives. These are the people that I know and love and are very dear to me. The people I do life with. The ones who when they hurt I hurt. The family & friends whose stories and struggles affect me deeply but whose stories are not mine to tell.
I am sure we have all had the experience where life is flowing along smoothly and then BAM - a sudden death, a discovered addiction, a broken relationship, an unexpected job loss, a health crisis. These things can so easily knock us off course and yank our eyes off Jesus. Even though Jesus himself tells us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble, we are still shocked when trouble comes in its many different shapes and sizes.
One of the hardest things for me to do when life is hard or unfair is to change the question. I get caught in a repeating cycle of asking God “Why?” Which He may or may not choose to answer this side of heaven. Instead I need to be asking God “What do you want to teach me (or what do you want me to learn) in this situation?” I believe that in God’s economy nothing is wasted if we have a teachable spirit and let him use our experiences for His glory.
I do not know what hard or unfair thing(s) you are facing today. Chances are you are heading into a rough patch, currently in a tough place, or recovering from a hard thing right now.
When things are tough we need to look to God’s word for hope. Romans 8:33 tells us that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:38-39 says that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. John 16:33 tells us to take heart because God has overcome the world.
Precious Father – Thank you that you hem us in, behind and before, and that you have laid your hand upon us. (Psalm 139:5). We long to feel your presence Lord. Please give us a teachable spirit. Whatever trouble we face today we know that you go ahead of us, that you will be with us and that you will not fail or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:8). We do not understand your plan Lord but we choose to trust in you. Help our unbelief. Amen