FEELING RUN DOWN

 
     There are just those days -- you know the ones -- where you just feel like you don't have what it takes to make it through the next hours, let alone days, that lie ahead.  That's just the reality of life, isn't it?  Somehow being told that those days are "normal" can make it seem more manageable, but something more is available to us that we shouldn't ignore...God's strength.

     This is true strength -- the kind that only God can pour into our lives when we've reached a low point, a hard place, a dark time.  

     Our God, Creator of all things, who is so intimately involved and concerned with EVERY detail of life, cares.  He truly cares.  And He's promised in His Word that when we are weak, His power will be made perfect in us (II Corinthians 12:9).

     I have a poem that hangs on a wall in our home and I stop to read it word for word every so often.  Alone, it's just a poem, but combined with God's promise to fill us with His strength, it becomes of great encouragement...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts seem high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When you care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must -- but never quit.


Life is queer, with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out;
Stick to your task, though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with one more blow.


Success is failure turned inside out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt --
And you never can tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things seem worst that YOU MUSN'T QUIT.

     Quitting can feel like the easiest solution -- it may be with our toddler who won't obey, our teenager who's pushing hard or our spouse who's not home enough.  Whatever is causing us to be run down or overwhelmed, we can take it to God.  He wants to join us in the middle of the mess, not stand back and watch us quit.

     Tell God where you're at and ask Him to come, in His power, into your dark moments and He will.  He really, really will!

"Don't quit in hard times;

pray all the harder."

Romans 12:12

When Daddy's Late

     Ask ANY mother what the hardest hour of the day is, and my guess is that 9 times out of 10 you will hear a groan escape her lips, just prior to the words, "The supper hour, of course." 

     If you have children that can move around on the their own two knees or feet, you know what I am referring to here.  And if you are the one attempting to put a healthy supper on the table before daddy gets home -- you have already discovered that life at the supper hour is not predictable.

     "Mommy, the dog's chewing my stuffie!"

     "Mommmm, the toilet is overflowing again!"

     "Mom, I fell and my lip is bleeding!"

     After all, we ARE moms -- we rush to the aid of others all day long! 

     We rescue perishing toys, we play the role of plumber, we attempt being a doctor of small injuries . . . and that is only in between the roles we play of teacher, judge and housekeeper!  Are you feeling tired yet?

     This short list - which barely scratches the surface of an average day - certainly gives credit to why our patience can wear thin near the supper hour.  And all the while we are desperately casting glances over our shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of "daddy" stepping confidently over the threshold of the doorway to our rescue, with his super hero cape fluttering in the breeze. 

     The truth is, the closer we get to the supper hour, the more we feel it's time for the reserves to march in with fresh strength for the battle. 

     In fact, if we are honest, we can be tempted to set our expectations higher and higher, the longer we wait, so that by the time the lucky man walks through the door -- Superman would find it hard to match what we expect.

     But what do we do when Daddy's late? (or worse; Daddy's away?)  (or hardest ever; there is no Daddy at all?)

     1) We keep smiling
     Unless someone needs to be rushed to the emergency, we will survive the next hour, so we may as well do it with a smile on our faces . . . our kids will notice the difference.

     2) We speak positive words only
     One of the enemy's greatest temptations during "solo supper hours" is for us to put down or criticize the man we wish was there to help us, but the reality is - if he's not there, he's not there!  Why damage our kids and families just because we are tired?

     3) We watch for ways to ease the chaos
     When we plan ahead there are many ways to curb the pending disasters; whether it be a healthy snack (our kids have always loved sampling frozen veggies before they are put in the water / carrot sticks / lettuce leaves - if it's veggies, it can't hurt that much) or a surprise coloring page or even a batch of play dough reserved for these moments only.

     4) We ask God to give us His strength
     If there was ever a time to apply the verse, "When I am weak, He is strong" it has to be at the supper hours at which we are flying solo -- God is there, ready and able to step in when we ask.

     Supper hours, although they can feel more like zoos than  restaurants, don't have to be miserable.  Our attitude as moms probably determines 90% of the experience in the home. 

     So mom -- happy or not -- ask God to give you the heart to serve your family just one more hour with a smile on your face!  And if that man comes home late, warm up his plate and welcome him home.  Chances are he's had a hard day too!

"If any (mom) serves,

(she) should do it with

the strength God provides,

so that in ALL things

God may be praised."

I Peter 4:11



Expect What You are Not Expecting

As time goes along, I have not only learned that there are many things in life that I can count on, but there are also many more things that I cannot count on.  Years ago, I was known to quote the expression - "Expect the least and you won't be disappointed", but my husband challenged me that this wasn't good thinking nor did not line up with God's truth.  I began to retrain myself to not let that expression slip out and instead began thinking more positively and expectantly! 

This year, as we were preparing for Christmas, one of our children expressed great anticipation in a toy that they really wanted to receive for Christmas.  Unfortunately for that child, I had already gone to the store and looked at the toy they had requested and made the decision that we wouldn't give it to them.  My reasons were that I knew the novelty would quickly wear off and I didn't feel it was a quality toy that would benefit them in any way, even though it fit within the budget of what I could spend.  In order to prepare their heart, I let them know that they needed to begin expecting what they were not expecting.  What?  To look forward to something that they didn't know what it would be.

This led me to think about God, and His love and activity in my life.  How often am I disappointed because I don't get what I am hoping for, even though in the long run I get something much better?  I have been known to express frustration when things don't work out the way I would chose and yet, rarely, do I look back on the change and wish it were different  in the end.  If we are really going to take God at His Word, when we are told in Romans 8:28, that "In ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him," then we better be willing to expect what we are not expecting.

There is a song by Garth Brooks called "Unanswered Prayers" that tells the story of a man meeting up with an old girlfriend that he had longed to marry many years before.  It comes out that he had prayed over and over that she would become his wife, but God didn't answer that prayer.  Then as he looks over at the wife He loved and God had chosen, he says...

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers, 
Remember when you're talking to the man upstairs,
That just because He may not answer,
Doesn't mean He don't care,
Some of God's greatest gifts...are unanswered prayers.

Rest in knowing that we can expect what we are not expecting with God and we will not be disappointed!