I have a dear friend who is going through a tough time. I’ll call her Georgette. We have known each other since grade 3 and we are soul mates in the way that we think alike and feel alike. We even have birthdays one day apart!
Georgette’s situation and struggles at this time are similar to what mine were several years ago. Like me, she has gone through a period of blaming others, but is now at a point of realizing that her own actions and attitudes have significantly contributed to her troubles. Right now she is very down on herself, yet is still scrambling to fix everything herself, just like I used to.
Georgette’s motto could be that of the Little Engine That Could. At the bottom of a hill, looking up at a huge obstacle, she courageously says, “I think I can”, or even “I know I can if I try hard enough”. I get that. That was me until I realized I was wrong: sometimes I just couldn’t. And what a blessed day it was when God got that through to me!
My good news for Georgette is: God CAN. We didn’t have a hard time coming to Jesus for forgiveness, because it was obvious that we could never make our way to heaven on our own merits. But we do find it hard to trust him to manage the less-spiritual crises, especially the ones we created ourselves by our own foolishness and pride.
When we talk on the phone and Georgette says, “I have to ___”, I interrupt her with “God needs to ___.” When she exhausts herself trying to strategize and fix the circumstances, I remind her to give herself a Sabbath rest from trying; one day each week that she’s not allowed to worry, but to remember that God is at work. (I actually tried this for a week this past February on a holiday, and it worked! It was possible to delay my worries by refusing to listen to the anxiety until I was home from the vacation. Now I’m trying to refuse anxiety all the time.) Georgette is now trying that out. Baby steps, as my chiropractor used to say, baby steps.
My favorite devotional, Daily Light from The Bible, is full of the assurance that our Lord knows we are dust, and takes joy in providing all we need. Here is an example of the scriptures on that theme from the morning of December 6th:
It is God which worketh in you…Not that we are sufficient of ourselves…but our sufficiency is of God…A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven…For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
These are some typed-up Tidings of Joy, speeding to Georgette in a card, from someone who loves her very much.
Posted by Ramona
www.happilywriting.com
May both you and your friend be blessed this year
ReplyDeleteThis is a lesson we all learned, are learning, will ever be learning until the day we see Christ face to face. What a great reminder to rest from all our anxieties and worries - particularly at this time of year!
ReplyDeleteBaby steps, we all need to take them to get to the point where we can "let go, and let God." My sister and I shared a wonderful answer to our prayer for God to help her with a difficult situation. He did better for her than we could even imagine.
ReplyDeleteI told my sister I didn't even "nag" God. I didn't tell him what to do. I just prayed for my sister's need and then I trusted him to work out the details. I didn't worry and I didn't try to micro-manage. Praise God, who knows our needs even before we ask him.