Ugh
Today, being a human guinea pig doesn't feel so good. I got my second vaccine (of six) yesterday and now my upper arm is swollen and tight and itches painfully. I'm not complaining exactly. I was duly warned about these unpleasant side effects. In fact, these are not even the worst of what I was warned about. But today was a rough day - one thing on top of another - and not feeling good made all those other things that much harder to deal with. I have to confess I cried more than once today.
There is an adage that says, "God never gives us more than we can handle," and a comeback that says, "I just wish He didn't trust me so much!" That is how I feel today; like this is too much to ask any one person to handle. So I came home from work and put on my Superwoman T-shirt to try to conjure up some strength and conquering spirit. LOL
But seriously, I know where my help comes from: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" (Ps. 121:2-8). He's done that for me in the past and I believe He's going to do that again. In fact, He can even "take our mess and turn it into our message." A friend shared that saying with me on Monday and it really struck me. It's definitely been the case in my life - the message I now try to share with others was born out of difficulties, places I never wanted to go and situations I never would have imagined I could handle.
Life is hard. Sometimes it just downright stinks. Some days everything goes wrong and you feel like you've become the subject of a bad country song ("lost my wife, lost my dog, missed the last bus out of town," etc.). But none of that is too much for God. He specializes in restoration. I recently read this: "All Christians are invited to join in God's mission of 'making things right.'" God didn't create things to be this way. Ever since it all went wrong, He has been working to make everything right again. And His work is so amazing that "everything [is] going to be more wonderful for once having been so sad."
Today has been one of those sad days. I've had about enough of bad news, unwanted change, physical pain, and emotional meltdown to last me quite a while. But all the sadness simply means there is an even greater measure of joy to come. Our messes can become our message if we lift our eyes to God and find our strength in Him, not glossing over our pain, but recognizing that any "superhero" power we have comes from Him alone.
There is an adage that says, "God never gives us more than we can handle," and a comeback that says, "I just wish He didn't trust me so much!" That is how I feel today; like this is too much to ask any one person to handle. So I came home from work and put on my Superwoman T-shirt to try to conjure up some strength and conquering spirit. LOL
But seriously, I know where my help comes from: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" (Ps. 121:2-8). He's done that for me in the past and I believe He's going to do that again. In fact, He can even "take our mess and turn it into our message." A friend shared that saying with me on Monday and it really struck me. It's definitely been the case in my life - the message I now try to share with others was born out of difficulties, places I never wanted to go and situations I never would have imagined I could handle.
Life is hard. Sometimes it just downright stinks. Some days everything goes wrong and you feel like you've become the subject of a bad country song ("lost my wife, lost my dog, missed the last bus out of town," etc.). But none of that is too much for God. He specializes in restoration. I recently read this: "All Christians are invited to join in God's mission of 'making things right.'" God didn't create things to be this way. Ever since it all went wrong, He has been working to make everything right again. And His work is so amazing that "everything [is] going to be more wonderful for once having been so sad."
Today has been one of those sad days. I've had about enough of bad news, unwanted change, physical pain, and emotional meltdown to last me quite a while. But all the sadness simply means there is an even greater measure of joy to come. Our messes can become our message if we lift our eyes to God and find our strength in Him, not glossing over our pain, but recognizing that any "superhero" power we have comes from Him alone.
"everything is going to be more wonderful for once having been so sad."
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that. Hope tomorrow is a better day. I'm thinking of you!
I am loving reading your blog. I am sorry I haven't been more faithful to do so. I am praying for you faithfully though. I love you. I checked your care calendar, praying for your surgery on Tuesday. You are truly BEAUTIFUL, truly!!!
ReplyDelete