June 14, 2013

You can take the easy...

Just a couple of weeks ago I looked around at my life and thought, "man, things are going pretty darn smooth right now. And (dare I say?) easy."

Kind of ironic that I would call my world "easy" given that I have three kids, I'm homeschooling, Mike just started football, and I'm training for a 50 miler (yup, pulled the trigger, WOHOOO!). Not to mention all the other little things going on. But we were cruising along, enjoying lazy days and enjoying the rhythm of life we found. However, I knew it wouldn't, it couldn't, stay that way for long.

Not that I was being a downer or pessimistic or anything. It's simply that I knew God doesn't let people stay in "Easy" mode for long.

And then, about a two weeks ago, came the upheaval I knew was just around the corner. All will be revealed in due time, but it more or less has to do with a big case of discernment we're going through. A discernment we weren't quite ready to make at this point in our lives but one that has presented itself, nevertheless.

Going through a discernment or transition or shift in life comes with many unknowns. How will it all play out? is the main theme running through the thought process. But the great thing about discernment is that, with hope in the Lord, it's not just about thinking. It's about praying and seeking wisdom - two things I desperately need more of in my relationship with Him.

While there are many things to worry about through it all, I don't worry. OK, let me rephrase that: every time I want to worry I tell my mind to shut-up be quiet. I am taking this moment in our lives to fall deeper in trust with my Heavenly Father. Because He is my Father. He will not bring us to this scary and somewhat daunting moment and then turn His back. He will not flirt with our emotions. He will not leave us hanging. He will provide us with exactly what we need in due time. And no matter how small the light at the end of the tunnel remains, we will continue to walk towards it with full knowledge and hope that God will reveal His promises at just the right moment.

You see, it is times like these that I feel most at peace. Dude, crazy I know. Complete upheaval and uncertainty in life and I'm at peace? Silly silly silly. But actually I am at peace because my Father is in control. I am at peace because I am closer to Him during times of trial and challenge than times when things are just cruising along. Not that cruising along is bad - it is a great recharging time to just *be* and rest in the joyousness of life.

But there is also an element of excitement to the unknown. As I used to say in college when times got tough, "Lord, surprise me!" Which meant that I was turning over the reigns. I'll do all my practical parts but beyond that I will wait on the Lord. Instead of over-analyzing every mute point I will rest in the fact that God is going to surprise me when I least expect it, and with God, things are awesome.

So, yeah, you can take the easy. Actually, don't. 'Cause easy is overrated...







Um, talk about "not easy." 
Do you know how long it took to get this kid clean???






2 comments:

Unknown said...

One of the things I love most about your blog, how calm you are in the face of stress. Your faith shines through and I love to see the grace and faith you handle every situation with. It may not be easy at times, but you will do what's best for your family and your faith and be stronger for it.

Unknown said...

Oh thank you! It is so hard to have faith and hope when you can't even see anything at the end of a situation. But God has been so faithful and even if I have the faith of a mustard seed He will move mountains!