Rest. Just Rest.
Some of us literally dream about what we’ll do on our days off. We push through the work week motivated by bill money, personal goals, work pals, and the idea of getting to that big neon FUN light at the end of the tunnel. Then when we finally get there, we end up plopping down and resting at the exit. How lame.
It’s almost 7 p.m., and I’m still in my recliner. I want to do so many things (go-karts, bowling, etc.), but it’s way too cold, and I have stuff to do inside the home. So, I will postpone my fun until my last day off if the Lord is willing to wake me up again on that day.
Speaking of “the Lord,” I came across a conversation about people “losing their faith” at some point earlier in the week, so I wanted to make a small comment.
We are tried and challenged by the world every single day of our lives. Stuff sometimes happens that is so horrific that we consider throwing our faith out the window. People die. People hurt, devastate, and abandon us. Things and loved ones get taken away. Various crises befall us. We’re abused, mocked, ridiculed, rejected, etc. Then we don’t understand how such a loving God can allow certain things to happen to us or other innocents.
“God” doesn’t explain everything He does or allows, as He owes His creations no explanation. Every now and then, He does reveal why we went through this or that and how it contributed to building our character, but sometimes there is no such response. Or the answer is simply, “My grace is sufficient,” “I give mercy to who I give mercy to,” or “Be still and know that I am God.”
The thing to remember when we go through horrific experiences is that we did indeed get through them. Someone held us together during those times. Someone shielded us from the fire’s flames so that we would only feel the heat but not get incinerated. Someone dried our tears and kept us on “life support” when it felt as if the devastation would take our last breaths. Understanding and trusting in that entity is faith in a nutshell.
Growth opportunities and tests of faith always hurt in some way or another. Also, patience is a virtue that must be developed in some people more than others. These situations may seem like curses when they are happening, but many of them are actual blessings.
Don’t give up.
