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I had one of those laughing/sobbing moments this morning while making breakfast. I had a delicious banana/spinach/strawberry/yogurt shake going in the blender, when all of a sudden my spoon fell in and my shake exploded. All over me, my cupboards, my floor and my 9’ kitchen ceiling. At first I started laughing out loud…and then I started sobbing. It was just one of those mornings when I was trying to hold it together and a strawberry shake made me lose it. During those times in our life when our world seems consumed with grieving, sometimes the simple event of an exploded shake is the reality check we need to remind us that life does go on and there is still laughter despite the tears.
Grief comes in all forms and for all reasons, but it's true to definition that it's usually the result of a death. Death of a loved one, death of a dream, or even death of how we perceive something/someone ("God, why would You do that?").
When I’m grieving, truth is often the first thing to go out
the window. My feelings feel more real
than what God has to offer me. How many
times in a day do I say, “God I know You’re stronger, You’re faithful, You
created and balance the universe, You are full of compassion, You bottle and
number our tears, You work for good, Your power is incomparably great…BUT.” Sometimes
things just hurt too much and those ‘buts’ come so quickly…and I don’t realize
that what I’m really saying is, “God, I know You’re strong, but this is too
much. I know You can do a lot, but can
you really do this?” More bluntly, we’re saying, “God, I don’t trust You can do
this.”
I’m challenged by Elijah in 1 Kings 18 where he’s
confronting the children of Israel and the prophets of Baal asking, “How long
will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if
Baal, follow him.” Two altars were made
to test whose God would answer with fire and consume the altar. It would have been enough to leave the altar
as it was, but Elijah had his altar doused with water three times. In essence he was saying,
“God I believe you are SO big and SO powerful, that I’m going to make this
extra difficult for You.” When we can’t fathom how our situation could
ever be resolved, we’re in the right spot.
God’s ways are unfathomable.
“Oh, how slow grief is to come to understanding! Grief is ignorant and does not even care to learn. When the grieving women “were sitting there opposite the tomb,” [Matt. 27:61] did they see the triumph of the next two thousand years? Did they see anything except that Christ was gone?” (Streams in the Desert, April 25)
Victory in grief comes when we consciously choose to look at
our overwhelming, impossible, sad, heartbreaking, lonely situation and say, “God,
I trust that You are who You say You are and You can do what You say You can
do.”
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” ~ Isaiah 26:3
Stay your mind on Him and thank Him that He knows the path you’re walking
and is paving your way in the wilderness and He WILL direct your path. Let’s stop faltering between two opinions. The LORD is God…trust Him.
“Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You
have broken rejoice.”
~ Psalm 51:8
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