This is a long one but a good one. This came out of searching God regarding several things. I pray it blesses you as much as it blessed me!
My Pain
We have all experienced time of pain. Whether it be depression, post-partum
depression, anxiety, loss, or perceived loss, the pain is all very real. Recently, I was pondering the tools God gives
us to help us through our tough times (and our good times). Here is the thing about tools – you have to
learn to use them. I LOVE tools. In my mind, I am a renovation master, a
master of the skill saw, a wiz with the drill.
The truth is, I love tools but my skills are pretty
limited. Why? Why haven’t I taken the time to learn to use
a skill saw, a jig saw, a drill or the others?
Why do I need to? I have a
husband that can build anything (and when I say anything, I really mean it.
He built our house). It is an
easy escape to just call Scott to take care of things for me. “Hey, Husband, can you build this table for
me?” “Hey, Scott, let’s add a bathroom
upstairs for KK.” “Oh! Honey, do you think you could make this shelf
for me?” Really, the list is limitless …
and so is his current Honey Do List! But
what do I do when he isn’t home and I need something done immediately? You know, that bookshelf that I purchased on
a whim that needs to be assembled or the shelving unit I bought that he told me
wouldn’t work but I needed to prove him wrong (and by the way, he was
right). Or that dog house I bought that
I was too proud to ask him for help? I
pull out my own tool kit.; the one that consists of a butter knife and a high
heel shoe. Yes, I am serious; I think
most things can be assembled with a butter knife and a high heel shoe.
I had a tool kit once.
Scott told me he would help me learn to use the tools included but it
was easier to just ask him to take care of it for me. Do you know what happened to that tool
kit? I sold it in a yard sale. Many times, we do the same thing with
God. He gives us tools to use but we
don’t like that. We want the immediate
fix. We want something done the way we
want it done and we want it done right now!
Can anyone relate? I want to
share a couple of things that I thought through the other night.
It was late in the evening and I was super exhausted. I had worked a 10plus hour day at the church
THEN did my mom taxi job, a couple of loads of laundry, took care of dinner and
then promised someone I would get them some thoughts on a particular
situation. In my moment of exhaustion,
God began to sweetly unfold some great truth to me. God
has given us tools to make it through some tough times, we just need to use
them! Here ya go …
1.
Relationships:
a.
Abraham and Isaac were in community as they were
walking to the mountain. Both men were
fully aware of the current situation but both focused on the end result (God
will provide) rather than the immediate need (we have no sacrifice).
b.
Jochebed (Moses mom) was about to send her son
down the river … in a basket of sorts.
That is huge! What about
crocodiles, what about waves …. What if, what if, what if …. However, she had Miriam. The one that was able to go and get Jochebed
and bring her to the palace.
c.
Relationships are the currency of the
kingdom. Everywhere we look in the
Bible, we see relationships. It is so
important we even have scriptures about the importance of relationships.
d.
So if this is one of the tools God has given us
to help us through our good and bad days, it is something that needs to be
examined. Who are your relationships
with? I’m not talking about girls day
out or shopping trips. I’m talking about
who is walking out this faith walk with you?
Who is bringing you back in when you are having a rough go of it, who is
rejoicing with you when you are having a great go of it? Who is able to speak the hard things to you –
even when it is difficult to say/receive and you know it is in love and not get
hurt or offended?
e.
There is a difference in a best friend
relationship and a spiritual mother/mentor relationship. Do you have this relationship in your life?
f.
It is so important to make time to have this in
your life. When a spiritual walk is out
of balance, chaos will ensue.
2.
The Word:
There is no substitute for getting in God’s word. There was one season of my life where I
worked a full time job and two part time jobs as well I also had a small child at home and a
husband that I helped with his ministry position all the while trying to
maintain our marriage. Where was I going
to find time to read the Word? It seemed
impossible. A very dear lady told me to
use my lunch hour. I packed a lunch and
would spend my lunch break reading the Bible.
It began to bring so much peace to my soul. The scriptures about the bread of life became
so real to me during those times. Those
were very hectic and chaotic days of our life.
Scott and I were like ships passing in the night but we were both in the
Word and it was an anchor for us. We
will always stay too busy to get in the Word.
We have to arrange the busy to make the time. It isn’t about a religious
obligation to read a chapter in the Bible a day or complete a Bible study
workbook. It is so much more than
that. It is having communication with
God. Sometimes that means meditating on
the same scripture for a while or reading the same section of scriptures over
and over. It is about relationship.
3.
Prayer:
This is the communication time
a.
So many times we go to prayer and just lay it
all out there for God and walk away.
Prayer is so much more than that.
b.
Recently, Scott preached a message on how we
make prayer hard. We shortchange the
opportunity to say prayers instead of living the lifestyle of prayer. We should be aware of His presence and that
is our directive in prayer. I can be in
prayer without ever saying prayers out of my mouth. We let our minds run wild because we can’t
rope our minds into submission of the Word.
Our thoughts become our mediation and we become unaware of His presence,
which is always with us.
c.
Prayer is a constant, ongoing mode rather than
an action. Yes, there are the times when
God will call you away to just pray for a period of time but we should be in a
mode of prayer all day long, every day.
d.
Where are you in your prayer life? Are you laying it all out there and just
walking away or are you daily inviting God’s presence to surround you? Are you surrendering your day to Him or are
you asking Him to surrender His day to you?
4.
Worship:
a.
This is our time to just give God honor. This can be hard, especially when you are in
the midst of pain.
b.
Think about this – in the pain you are enduring,
are you only looking at the pain or are you looking at the long-term picture.
c.
When we are in a situation that is trying (Maybe
you have lost a child, or have a loved one with caner. Maybe a dream has been shattered or a hope is
lost) we always focus on that immediate situation.
d.
If we think about the end result, it is easier
to give honor to God.
e.
Many years ago, I had a dream of a huge
family. I could only have one child and
my dream of a large family was lost. As
I look back on that pain, it was so real.
However, when I look at my life now, I am so fulfilled parenting my daughter.
f.
Don’t withdraw from God because of pain. Draw near to Him and ask him to help you see
the big picture.
I challenge you – use the tools that have been set before
you. God desires relationship with us
and we need to use the tools He has provided.
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