Martha Rudolph
THE IN-BETWEEN
Life in the Little
Anger. That was the appropriate emotion. More accurately though, my daughter resembled a dragon with whispers of smoke tendrils rising from its nostrils and fire in its eyes. Someone had stolen a plush charm from her backpack during school. After she settled down enough to relay the story to me, we prayed over it, and continued with our day. There wasn’t anything special about the charm except that it belonged to her. There was an injustice done, and it stole her joy. Isn’t that how life can be? We are cruising along and bam! FOUL! Something goes wrong that derails us. Maybe it’s a string of somethings. Or, maybe instead of a little something, it’s a large something. What do we do when we feel like we are in a losing battle not just with the little things, but with a giant problem that is looming? A giant that is stealing our joy. Have you been here before? Like me, are you here now? My giant is big, actually it’s got company. I have a few. Some larger than others but all for the same purpose. These giants step into my path and cast their shadow. A shadow that blocks my light, confuses my way and distracts my heart and mind. I have been battling some giants for years. God has brought me to the point where I am experiencing victory during the battles, but the war continues despite my prayers for resolution and restoration. In weaker moments, the long suffering of it all makes me question where my prayers actually land. Does God really hear them? Or do they get stuck somewhere? Caught up in the ceiling? Roof? Are they held captive by some cloud? Because, surely if God is some good, faithful, and loving God, a God who hears my cries, my struggles would have been defeated already. Unfortunately for us all, we were promised to have trouble in this world ( John 16:33). Also, we are told flat out in Isaiah 55:8 that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways. It may sound discouraging, but this is good news! Because we don’t understand his ways, thoughts, and plans in dealing with the trouble in our lives and in this world, we can quit striving too. Once we do that, what becomes available to us is to take heart because God is the conquering king. I’m not suggesting inaction. Lack of understanding often leads us to a point where we allow fear to paralyze us into missing future promises. When God’s actions don’t match our if/then scenarios, we need to take heart and choose faith. By taking our fears to God, trusting his heart and laying them at his feet, our feet are freed for forward progress. His character and love have not changed, they can’t (Hebrews 13:8). The same God that was trustworthy yesterday is trustworthy today. Another reason to take heart? This current season will not last (Ecclesiastes 3). There is a time for everything, even when we feel like time is standing still, God is working. The season will change. And, in all seasons God is good, faithful, and loving; and our prayers are valued, precious and heard. Revelation 5:8 tells us, that our prayers are like incense to God. He holds each one in a gold bowl. How precious are our prayers that he keeps them in gold! Do you know what else? He has a record of every single tear that we have ever cried (Psalms 56:8). This is a picture of a loving God who intimately cares for his children. Won’t you trust him? Won’t I? When my giants don’t seem to be falling as fast as I want them to fall, do you know what I’ve noticed? If I slow down to look, to pay full attention, I can still see God’s favor on my life. When my big prayers seem to be hitting brick walls, I need to look to the little. Look for victories in the small battles. Remember back to the prayers that were muttered under my breath and hardly given a second thought. Changing my perspective in this way allows for two things. 1.) I can see God’s hand in the ‘small’ miracles and my status changes from defeated to victor. 2.) It reassures me that he does, in fact, hear me and he does still love me. Where do I see these small miracles? Everywhere. After whispering a quick prayer for a parking space at a crowded Christmas event for both cars in our party and having two open up in close proximity to each other. Having the campsites that I wanted but couldn’t reserve become available, the only two open that were next to each other. When the scent of burning leaves threatened to ruin my beautiful fall walk and my sinuses, a quick prayer for ‘a fresh air bubble’ was answered as a clean breeze began to blow that stayed with me the rest of the way back to my home. Having the fall leaves hanging on just long enough for me to get our fall photos taken. Receiving an encouraging text from a friend, saying exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I was asking God to hear it. Little miracles are all around us, but we have to look for them or else they go by unnoticed, chalked up to coincidence. If your big problem isn’t moving and you are wondering if God is still working, if he really even still cares, if your prayers are actually reaching Heaven and not getting side swiped by some random obstacle, look again. My daughter’s charm was found and returned to her due to the detective work of one of her friends. God heard her, and he cared about her and that charm! The season may be one of ginormous giants, but God is still with you. So, look to those small prayers whispered in a hurry. The ones lifted often times without a lot of effort or thought. Look to the little and be encouraged. You may be surprised as to what you see.
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AuthorHi! I'm a mom to four, wife, and Christ follower. Fueled by coffee and prayer, I write about family, lessons I have learned encountering what it means to live a joy-filled life, especially when stuck in between promise and resolution. Archives
June 2019
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