while others might refer to it as a storm. A metaphor for struggles in life, we all encounter them in our lives and have to decide how to deal with them. In this collection of short stories, Dancing During the Storm, each main character had to decide what they would do when their life turned upside down.
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but looked stationary. He went nowhere no matter how hard the little bird flapped his wings. I am sure some of you can relate. You are doing everything you know to do, but your situation is not changing. You are sweating, crying, and doing everything you know to do. The winds are going against you just like the little bird. You feel it is all in vain.
But then the little bird stopped flapping, spread his wings and let the wind take him where it wanted to. He glided carefree to the ground, picked up some food and flew on. I got such a giggle out of it. He spent all of his energy flapping for nothing. Some days I feel like that. I feel like I am flapping and flapping and not moving forward. But I know better.
We need to be like the little bird. Stop flapping. Glide and let it take us where we need to be.
God has a plan for your life, it is one to prosper you and not harm you. (Jeremiah 29:11) He isn’t promising to make us all rich, but He is promising to make our lives full. You have to trust Him. Spread your wings and let the wind take you where you are needed.
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Peace and Hair Grease
After I finished an 11 hour shift, I stopped and pumped gas in the rain because I was headed home and didn’t plan on venturing out anymore that evening. My T-shirt and jacket were wet from the rain, but I was headed home and traffic was light. It wasn’t going to take long.
Driving along one of many highway construction zone, I got a flat and had to pull over and park on the side of the road. I was a long way from home. It was dark, rainy and cold. Did I mention I was wet?
I called for a service to come change the tire, waited and prayed none of the cars speeding by would hit me. My sister, who is better than your sister, came and sat with me. She sat in her car (because she needed to listen to the game) and I in mine. It was still cold, rainy and dark. My car shook as 18-wheelers sped pass me.
I prayed, Lord I am sure there is a lesson in this. Help me know what you want me to get from this.
Shortly after that my sister pointed out that behind us about a fourth of a mile, there was a car in a ditch. Focused on my misery I had not noticed the still headlights in my rear view mirror. The car’s lights were on but we were not sure if anyone was in the car. The ditch was filling up with water. That car was in a worse position than mine.
Help arrived for both of us at the same time.
My lesson: No matter how bad your situation seems, there is always someone who has it worse.
What struggle seems to be drowning you? The Lord has promised in Isaiah 43:2 that when we pass through the waters, He will be with us and the river will not overcome us. At the right time, someone came along and helped us out of those situations. Sit back and let Him teach you what He wants you to know. Instead of being lost in your own misery, allow God to give you some perspective about your circumstances.
Lord, help me find a way to praise you in all my circumstances even when I am soak in cold rain, and it is dark and I can’t do what I want. Thank you for sending someone along side me to wait with me. Thank you for sending rescuers. Amen.
I know lots of people going through struggles and difficult times right now. What I have learned from my own struggles is that God is using these adversities to strip things from me that keep me from being what He’s created me to be.
As I reflect on many of the struggles I have had this year, I have a new found freedom. It is a blessing. There is nothing like peace that comes from heaven. It will not go away when the heat turns up in your life. People will look at you funny, like why are you not freaking out about this? When you know the One who controls all things, and you spend time with Him daily, you trust Him.
Sometimes God is trying to get you out of situations or away from people that poison your spirit. Many of us fight it because we have grown dependent on those people or situations. God has to wrench these things from us and it hurts because we have been holding on to them so tightly. God is our only source and He wants us to know it.
We will stay with a job until it destroys our health. We will stay with people who destroy our self esteem. We are physically broken, mentally broken, spiritually broken, yet we want God to do something great in our lives. We are not giving Him anything to work with. We continually fight against the good that God has for us because we do not understand it. When He rips these things from us, we are sad and depressed, but it usually for the best.
This week I began looking at the poison people in my life. If you are one of those people hanging on, watching, not adding anything to my life, your days in my life are numbered. If I have asked you for something and you have ignored me, your days in my life are numbered.
As long as we live in peace, you don’t have to like me. Today’s bible verse confirmed it “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24. Some of the folk who are struggling are trying to keep those many companions and wondering why their lives are in ruin. Focus on the one who will stick closer than a brother. Stop worrying about your haters and think on the one who loves you.
One of my morning readings is The Secret of the Vine by Bruce Wilkerson. God is constantly pruning vines in your life to see that you continue to be fruitful. Stop second guessing God’s decisions. If He has ushered some people out of your life, let them go.
Stop allowing people to drain you and not put anything back. When God cuts them off. Let them stay cut off. Test every person in your life for what they are adding. Even God gets rid of branches that don’t produce anything good.
I am not going back to the way I used to be. I am not going to let people poison me by not valuing the vessel God is molding. I am going to trust the God who leads me. He knows what I need.
God is creating something beautiful and I am going to value it.
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