“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” Psalm 28:7
Lately I feel like God grabbed my ankles, flipped me upside down and shook me until all the loose change of MY priorities, expectations, and unbelief has fallen out of my pockets! “Why?” you might ask. It’s simple. I moved back overseas.
I’ve moved back overseas before, but this time it’s to a TOTALLY new place – Papua, Indonesia. New routine (or lack of it), new colleagues, new people group, new climate, new, new, new. Can you tell I don’t really like change? At times, I find myself depressed because life’s just plain hard right now.
C.J., my 11 year old son, just started school at a “new” school, and was struggling with his math homework. Sensing his resistance to my efforts to guide him through a long division problem, I exclaimed in frustration, “C.J.! I’m right here to help you!”
“But Mom,” he moaned, “It’s just TOO hard! I can’t handle this! Why does God make us do things that are hard?!”
Stunned, I realized that he had voiced the same issue that I was struggling with. Now I was faced with having to explain to my child the answer to the question I didn’t want to face. I swallowed hard.
“Well, C.J., God loves us SO much that He wants us to grow – and sometimes growth only comes through hard things.” I paused, surprised at my words. “But I’m right here to help you! All you have to do is trust me, and we’ll walk through this together.” God had given me a glimpse into how He must desire to do the same for me!
Later, after C.J. had allowed me to help him through his homework, I chuckled to myself. “You’re funny, Lord! But I get it. You just want me to trust you. You CAN help me through the hard times – if I let you. Even if it is harder than long division!”
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