Even Me?
“like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!”
Psalm 127:4-5
As I dragged myself up from the moss-covered stone floor of life’s never-ending maze, I felt overwhelmed and discouraged. I had been stumbling through the well-developed network of passages for what felt like an eternity, but was probably just a week. With each misstep, I found myself sinking deeper into the bog of discouragement, slipping on the slick stone floor that was covered in the moss of my own sinful reactions. The frustration was too much to bear, and I screamed within the confines of my aching and confused mind, “I GIVE UP!”
All I wanted was some peace and quiet, some time for myself. But the Lord had other plans for me that week. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it feels like my whole house is imploding. The constant comings and goings of children can be overstimulating, causing my mind to curl up into a little ball, repeating the words, “Why is this so hard?” This mindset is obviously the wrong one to have, and unfortunately, it can lead me to act less like Mr. Rogers and more like the Incredible Hulk.
Why is life so hard? Why is having kids so hard? These are questions that I often find myself asking. However, I know that deep down, the answer lies in my own heart. Life is hard because of the sin that resides within me, and having kids is hard because it challenges me to become more like Christ – patient, kind, and selfless. So even though it may be tough, I will continue to press on, knowing that the Lord is with me every step of the way.
BLESSED! Last week did not feel like a blessing, or at least not in the way I’d prefer a blessing to feel.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of you faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6-7
#firstworldproblems
I must confess that I am often consumed by my own selfish desires and fail to see the wonderful blessings that usually come wrapped in the pain of life’s small everyday frustrations. The biggest mistake I make is forgetting that my time is not my own, but rather every single second belongs to the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Recently, I found myself holding on tightly to my own selfish desires to escape the circumstances that the Lord had placed before me. I felt cheated in some way by these circumstances and became increasingly frustrated as a result. But the problem was not the circumstances themselves – it was my own selfish desires that were out of line with God’s will for my life. The root of my frustration was my sinfulness. I was the problem.
It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that life owes us something, that we deserve a certain level of comfort or ease. But the truth is that we are called to deny ourselves and follow Christ, even when the road is rocky and full of challenges. It is only when we surrender our selfish desires to the Lord and align our hearts with His will that we can find true peace and fulfillment. So let us all strive to lay aside our selfishness and live for the glory of God.
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Romans 7:24
As I stood beside the island in the center of my kitchen at the end of the week, I was overcome by a deep sense of gratitude for God’s grace, mercy, and love. Despite my many failings throughout the week, I realized with wonder that God had saved even someone as wretched and sinful as me. The fact that Jesus died for me so that I could repent of my sin and be forgiven is a truly humbling and awe-inspiring realization.
In that moment, I couldn’t help but offer up a heartfelt “Thank you, Lord!” for His unfailing love and unending mercy. It’s so easy to get caught up in the stresses and frustrations of everyday life, to focus on our shortcomings and forget that we are loved and cherished by the Creator of the universe. But in those moments when we stop and reflect on His goodness, we can’t help but be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude and wonder.
So today, let us all take a moment to pause and reflect on God’s grace and mercy in our lives. Let us remember that even though we are wretched sinners, we have been saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And let us offer up a heartfelt “Thank you, Lord!” for all that He has done and continues to do for us.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:25a
That
“There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1
In him, with love
mike
P.s
I am definitely not that great! But he is!
