“Good morning students, I will have to cancel class today because…” is about as far into the email from my professor I read before texting a friend to go to lunch in what would usually be class time. I was pumped, with my mid-day class cancelled, I could make the 30-minute trip to Chick-fil-a and be back for my next class – no problem. While waiting for my friend to be done with her class, I was working on an assignment online. “It’ll take 5 minutes tops” I said. Right. It ended up taking about 25 minutes. “That’s ok,” I thought to myself “I’ll just speed a little.” (Great idea, Care. Brilliant.) Long story short, I got pulled over for speeding.
As I pulled back onto the road I was pretty annoyed with the situation. Honestly, I was pretty annoyed with life in general. If I’m going to post on here and share what the Lord is doing in my life with you guys, then I realize I’m going to have to be pretty honest. So, truth is I have been struggling. From little things (like leaving my laundry in the washer for 25 hours instead of 25 minutes) to some pretty serious spiritual warfare, it’s been a rough few months. Now, you might say things like forgetting laundry aren’t really that big of a deal and you’re right, but I know I’m not the only one to let little things like that get to me. We all have those days (or months) when not a lot seems to be going right. The enemy uses anything he can to grab hold of our thoughts and attention. So, so often I look back at things that I let ruin my day and laugh at how silly it was.
A few minutes after I got pulled over the song “This Is The Stuff” by Francesca Battistelli came on the radio. I really think God has a sense of humor when He’s teaching us sometimes. In the song, the lyrics read “forty-five in a thirty-five, sirens and fines while I’m running behind.” Y’all, I had literally just been pulled over for going 10 over the speed limit while I was running late. My frustration quickly faded as the song played on “…this is the stuff you use, to break me of impatience, conquer my frustrations, I’ve got a new appreciation, it’s not the end of the world.” It always amazes me the way the Lord can use something as simple as a song coming on right when you need to hear it to grab your attention. These little frustrations and inconveniences we face really aren’t the end of the world. God is still good and in control, that is something I have to preach to myself almost hourly.
Realistically though, I know some of you may read this and think the things I’ve been talking about are just plain silly. Things like that may not even be getting to you that much right now because you’re facing a major trial or your world just came crumbling down. Let me tell you, first of all, again: God is still good and in control. I wasn’t kidding when I was talking about the little trials like laundry and speeding earlier, but I realize there are more trying issues out there. I also wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to be very honest with y’all about what I’m dealing with myself.
Here’s my issue: a lack of passion. No fire exploding in my heart.
Now you may be questioning why or how I’m even writing this if I don’t feel super passionate about things right now. Well: My faith. Strength from the Lord. A grasp on the things I know to be true from His word. Knowing He created me to share His love with others. But mostly just the strength the Lord has been providing for me.
Being a Christian is not easy, but as we know, He never said it would be. We all go through seasons of faith and we all experience some pretty difficult trials along the way. It’s so worth it though. Am I right, friends? To know at the end of the day, when you feel like you’ve got nothing left…He is still there. He is so faithful and loving even in our wandering. What a great and powerful God we serve.
You may think to yourself, “Well you don’t know what I’m going through.” (or have been through) and you’re right again, I don’t. Haven’t got a clue.
But as I said before I do know the simple truths of the gospel. I can tell you that God is not freaking out, wondering how to fix your life or your problems.
He is in control.
He is still good.
He is still sitting on His throne.
He is God alone and He is able.
There are several verses and biblical truths I have clung to in this season but one that always sticks out to me is Habakkuk 3:18.
“yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18)
I like to imagine a little semi-colon before the word “yet” in that verse. What I do is fill in the blank with whatever I’m dealing with and then “; yet…”
For example:
I don’t feel a passion in my heart; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
School is really stressing me out; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of salvation.
Your statements may be very different from mine, depending on where you are in life. Yours may look something more like one of these:
I don’t know how I’m going to handle my financial situation; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
I don’t know what I’ll do after I graduate; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
I don’t know why God is moving me somewhere far from home; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
I don’t know why this friendship/relationship isn’t working out; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Those are just a few examples of things I know some people may be struggling with. Fill in the blank with your own struggle or trial, but don’t forget to add a semi-colon and finish that statement with truth.
