i'm in a funk.
and this time, it really stinks.....
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Standing Strong
It's been a while since my last post. I've allowed daily distractions to get in the way of having anything close to an "inspired" or "original" thought. I went to a Ladies' Retreat this past weekend and was convicted about a couple of things. Now those issues are at the forefront of my mind and they're huge to deal with. So I'm not.
But I ran into a friend today and was reminded of something. Our "little" town is soon to be a ghost town. We recently found out that our Home Depot is closing. This morning I found out another strong store is closing, too. The reasons for closing must be corporate loss, but I'm drawn to look at the local impact it will have--especially in terms of employment.
I'm grateful that my friend is a believer and that she can put her trust in Christ. But it's still hard. What do you do when you just move into a new place, and find out you don't have a job for much longer?
I remember when we first moved to Beaver Dam. We moved an hour from our families and the childhood homes we knew. My husband was still working an hour away and we moved here for housing-cost and cost-of-living reasons, along with a desire to get out of Milwaukee & MPS. We moved here and I was 8 months pregnant with our third. Two weeks after moving in, we got notice that Brad was losing his job. Fortunately, they gave him a few months notice. But we still had to get looking.
We couldn't help but feel like Abraham--moving around in tents, waiting for the city to be built. We had no idea why God had moved us to Beaver Dam and what we were supposed to do now. Where was he supposed to get a job? Were we supposed to move back?
Trusting in God doesn't mean we don't have questions. We are human and He expects us to have those questions. I think its when we try to answer them for ourselves that we cross a line. God wants us to trust in His plan, even when we don't know what it it. Maybe especially when we don't know! Just because we can't SEE His hand working doesn't mean that it isn't.
Staying strong in trusting Him doesn't mean there won't be questions, tears, moments of anger and frustration, or mistakes. But losing jobs, not getting hired, dealing with life changes---all of these give us amazing opportunities to thank our Savior for getting us this far. I'm convinced that the enemy is trying to distract us to the point of destruction. Even he knows our weaknesses---the difference is that he will try to exploit them, whereas God wants to help us work through them.
Trust yourself to let go of the answers and hand the questions over to God.
Matthew 6 (NAS; www.biblegateway.com)
26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
But I ran into a friend today and was reminded of something. Our "little" town is soon to be a ghost town. We recently found out that our Home Depot is closing. This morning I found out another strong store is closing, too. The reasons for closing must be corporate loss, but I'm drawn to look at the local impact it will have--especially in terms of employment.
I'm grateful that my friend is a believer and that she can put her trust in Christ. But it's still hard. What do you do when you just move into a new place, and find out you don't have a job for much longer?
I remember when we first moved to Beaver Dam. We moved an hour from our families and the childhood homes we knew. My husband was still working an hour away and we moved here for housing-cost and cost-of-living reasons, along with a desire to get out of Milwaukee & MPS. We moved here and I was 8 months pregnant with our third. Two weeks after moving in, we got notice that Brad was losing his job. Fortunately, they gave him a few months notice. But we still had to get looking.
We couldn't help but feel like Abraham--moving around in tents, waiting for the city to be built. We had no idea why God had moved us to Beaver Dam and what we were supposed to do now. Where was he supposed to get a job? Were we supposed to move back?
Trusting in God doesn't mean we don't have questions. We are human and He expects us to have those questions. I think its when we try to answer them for ourselves that we cross a line. God wants us to trust in His plan, even when we don't know what it it. Maybe especially when we don't know! Just because we can't SEE His hand working doesn't mean that it isn't.
Staying strong in trusting Him doesn't mean there won't be questions, tears, moments of anger and frustration, or mistakes. But losing jobs, not getting hired, dealing with life changes---all of these give us amazing opportunities to thank our Savior for getting us this far. I'm convinced that the enemy is trying to distract us to the point of destruction. Even he knows our weaknesses---the difference is that he will try to exploit them, whereas God wants to help us work through them.
Trust yourself to let go of the answers and hand the questions over to God.
Matthew 6 (NAS; www.biblegateway.com)
26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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