“Wow! You have your hands full.”
I get that a lot as I’m sure you can imagine. I’ve started replying “Yes, but my Heart is very Full as well.”
“How do you do it?”
It’s then that I wish I had more time than just for a passing comment. Because I would love to look at them and say, I don’t do it very well… and I sure as heck don’t do it in my own strength. (if the timing is right I do say it)
You see, I would love nothing more than to believe in the saying “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle” But it’s just not biblical. Yes, He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond that which we can bear… but as far as life goes…. If I understand my bible the way I think it should be understood, I think the point in a believers life is often that God gives you WAY more than you can handle! Because He wants nothing more than for you to run to Him and say Help…. I can’t do this. He loves to hear His children say “I can’t but You can!!”
God often puts us in places where we feel weak and in places where we feel that we can’t go another step. It’s in those places where God shines at being God!! Isn’t that the whole point of life? To make much Him!! Because that’s truly where our hope and where our strength lies.
Time and time in scripture men and women are put in very difficult circumstances and are called to do radical things. It may be as simple as being asked to marry a guy whose camels she just watered; to asking to kill a giant that everyone is deathly afraid of. It may be that God asked him to build an ark for something called rain…. or asked her to hide spies from another land. Whatever the case may be, most often it involves life changing in some drastic way. Leaving his whole family. Being ridiculed by the whole town. Being stoned to death. Risking losing your fiance. Living in the inside of a fish. Anyway you look at it…. When God acts in your life, life as you expected or thought would be will cease to exist.
I can’t say that I’m glad that we lost Asher almost 4 years ago. And honestly, there were moments when I was mad at God for allowing that to happen.
I can’t say that I was overjoyed when marriage proved a lot harder than I thought and we proved to be bigger sinners than either of us thought.
I can’t say that I always am gracious about having to change 4 kids diapers every day when some days I would just love to be out taking photos and editing and meeting people for coffee.
It’s not the life I ever would have planned for myself.
It’s far more difficult than I would have planned.
But it’s much more amazing and fulfilling than I ever would have dreamed.
Is God doing something in your life? Is He asking something of you that you may or may not have a choice in right now? Are you struggling to accept the life that is being crafted for you? I understand. But trust me, God is BIG enough to handle your fears, your anger, your resentments, your confusion, your hurt. He’s BIG enough. And you may not feel like you can go another step….. lose another friend… cry one more tear…wait one more year…. or change one more diaper. On your own… you probably can’t. But with Him. All things are possible and He promises to work these frustrating details for GOOD!!
It might be the immediate crash of the sound of a giant falling… or it might be the drip drop of rain months down the road… or it might be closing your eyes in pain and opening them to a land of pure bliss and beauty where ALL thing are made right and whole. Regardless, when or where…. watch expectantly and desperately for God to act and work. He will. I promise…. no, actually, HE promises.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory 2 Corinthians 4:15
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