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Good beautiful Saturday morning, my sisters! The sun is shining outside, but better yet, the SON is shining within my soul. It's a daily choice, ever before us, right? Half empty or half full? Seeking out the good, or stuck always seeing the bad?
I know, I know -- life is so painful for many of you. I've been around that mountain a time or two myself. I want to share some helpful things that I have learned, or am attempting to learn. Not on my own strength, mind you…My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.
I recently read, yet again, Laura Story's book, "When God Doesn't Fix It." Now, Laura is an authority on this topic since her husband had a brain tumor just one year into their marriage. Life has never been the same for Laura and Marcus. While Marcus is functional, though very dependent on Laura for even basic needs of life, she was forced to be the main breadwinner in her family and the caretaker of her husband. How hard! Yet, through all of their trials and heartaches, the two never caved. They continued to walk with God and look to Him for complete healing for Marcus. They are still waiting. Depressing, right? Maybe not.
Listen, sisters, don't we all have preconceived ideas of what our lives will look like? A prince charming to sweep us off our feet and we will live happily ever after in a beautiful castle, while the prince waits on us hand and foot. Um, let's rethink that one. In seriousness, we struggle with our perceptions of what life ought to be and sometimes, reality hits us in shocking waves, knocking us off our feet and we're left lying on the beach, gasping for air. Some of you are suffocating this minute in your pain and loss of a dream. I get it. I've been there, too. What's a girl to do?
In Laura's book, she offers little -- no, monumental pieces of wisdom that she's learned along the way. The phrase that is grabbing my attention this morning is this: The myth we believe is that things have to get better before I can get better. The truth is that my situation might not ever get better but I can get better! How?
I wonder if the best way to be the best me (and you be the best you) is to stop reveling in the sadness, the brokenness, the loss. Instead, admit this is where you are and that for reasons unknown to you at this time, God has allowed it. But sister, He is not a cruel Father who takes delight in our misery. No! He is our heavenly Father who simply loves us and wants the best for us.
So then, if God has allowed something hard in our lives, the best we can do is believe it's for our good and His glory and something so much better is on the way.
Even if -- even if we never in this life see the "so much better," we can face whatever we face with a determination, like Laura and Marcus, to lean on Jesus through it all. Instead of staying focused on what's before us, which holds us back from all God longs to give us, let's be determined to look to Who is within us, walking beside us, even ahead of us, making a way for us.
Waiting on life to get better is a distraction that delights the evil one, because he knows full well that if we remain stuck in a rut of sadness, confusion, anger, disappointment or a myriad of emotions, we will lose sight of the only one who can help us! Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord…yours, too. Sister, you don't have to be stuck in a rut! Even if life never gets better, YOU can get better! Lift your heart to the One who knows all about you. Tell Him all about it. He already knows you are living in brokenness, but give it all over to Him, and He WILL make a way for you.
Lord, too often we get stuck in a dark place, which makes us forget that YOU are our Healer, our Strength, Our Wisdom, Our Salvation. Forgive us, Jesus, that we look away from You and look at life's disappointments. Father, please draw our hearts back to You. Teach us to be conquerors, victors, instead of victims. Thank You for loving us, even at times we know we must seem unlovable…You love anyway. We are so thankful for a million chances. We love you, Lord. In Jesus name, we pray…Amen!
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Debby Renninger is a freelance writer and inspirational speaker. She holds a Bible study in her home in McVeytown, where seeking women are always welcome. She may be reached at (717) 250-7086 for speaking engagements.