Struck a Chord

I've been avoiding my bed, doing the usual . . . scrolling down my FB news feed and then pressing the refresh button when I get bored to see if anyone has posted anything interesting. Ya know . . . important stuff.

Anyway. I came across this post: http://lemmonythings.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/god-will-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle-i-guarantee-it/

Read it first! Or this response might not make much sense!

It struck a chord with me. Like so many others I have been told time and time again that God won't give me more than I can handle. Kayla was much kinder than I have been in response to this. She recognizes that people who say this care about you. I don't know. I tend to resent people who tell me I don't have more on my plate than I can handle, especially when I came to them to tell them the opposite. (It just seems like a nice way to say "I don't care, deal with your own crap." Ya know? Like a "you can handle this so stop crying about it." It's just so unhelpful to say. I would rather hear "I'm praying for you." and then watch the person turn and walk away.) I know we say things just to say them and maybe because we don't know what else to say, but lets be challenged to at least use cliches that hold some truth.

I couldn't agree more that we face things in life that we simply cannot handle. I can't relate to her story of loss, but we have all gone through trials and can at least relate to the "more than you can handle" part. Life is full of things I can't handle. From a Christian perspective that seems kind of common sense. I mean if we could handle it all why would we need a Savior? What would we need saved from? I mean I can't even handle my own sin let alone the sins of the world that affect me daily. We live in a fallen world and are constantly affected by terribly things that are a result of that sin. That's life. It's hard.

Ugh, what's my point already?  . . .

God, people! It's about God. It all is. We are nothing. And that is supposed to be a reassuring comment. Thankfully we don't have to rely on ourselves. Being a Christian begins with this fundamental truth. It's not our doing. We don't save ourselves from sin. God does. We can't possibly carry the burden of our own sin, but God can. I can't face this world on my own, but God can carry me through it. He is my strength. I have none without him. It is such a relief to realize that. I am so thankful that I don't have to rely on myself. I don't somehow have to muster up the strength from somewhere within my puny self to face the trials in my life. I would never stand a chance. I'm reminded of that every trial I face, because I almost always go at it as if I can do it on my own. And that always results in a heaping pile of mess on the floor, God pick me up 'cuz I did it again realization that I cannot do it apart from Him. I need His strength. Period.

Why do we think we can do it? I know I often catch myself (usually late in the game after I've exhausted myself from trying and failing) trying to be in control of my life. The funny thing is until I realize that's what I've been doing I actually think I am in control of my life. Sometimes I actually give myself credit for trucking through something. Which is always embarrassing because what I actually do get the credit for is making a hot mess of things. Then it dawns on me . . . oh hey maybe I should be taking this to God. Maybe I should be first asking myself what God would have me do with this situation. Maybe I should actually take Him seriously here. And the best part of it all . . . just because I thought I was calling the shots . . . just because I had to "take it Him" . . . doesn't mean he didn't have it all in his hands in the first place. PHEW! I associate this with the feeling that you are falling and just as you realize what's happening you also remember you are harnessed so you were never actually in danger to begin with. That's what losing control of your life is like as a Christian. You never truly had control, so when you "lose" it you get to remember God has your back.

Wow He's faithful to no end. The more I grow in faith the more I realize how horrible I am and how great He is. Thinking about how faithful God is to me despite me makes my eyes well up.

I could ramble on and on. But I won't. Benny has been asleep for a little while, so I'm missing out on valuable rest.

I'll leave with a song lyric from Mark Schultz. (This song is often in the back of my mind.) "You never said it would be easy, but you said you'd see me through the storm. And even though I'm walking through the valley of the shadow, I will hold tight to the hand of Him whose love will comfort me. And when all hope is gone, and I've been wounded in the battle, He is all the strength that I will ever need. He will carry me."