Desperation

Recently our daughter was here with her three little boys and we decided on the spur of the moment to go the park, the beautiful new park by Lake Overholtzer. As is often the case, little boys who hadn't needed to use the bathroom 15 minutes before while we were still at home suddenly needed to go - the whole nine miles. So Mary and the boys walked quite a distance to the most likely place to find a bathroom, in fact where a bathroom was located, only to find them locked. Then they saw a couple of portable units on the other end of the playground. After another long trek, and looking at the condition of the units, all of them decided they'd be wise to wait. Soon the boys were running and playing on the equipment, "Good." I thought "They'll be fine for a bit." Before long I saw Micah, one of my five year old twin grandsons, walk over to an area underneath one end of the jungle gym. He sat down on the ground and buried his head in his arms. I walked over to him and bending down asked what was wrong. He looked up at me, earnestly and with red eyes said, "Nana, I'm just praying that somehow we can find a bathroom!"

You know, sometimes the most mundane, everyday things can bring our worlds to a standstill and make us miserable. And our worlds are full of those kinds of things. "It's just life" you might say, "I'll... survive." True, but God cares and He is in the midst of our everyday, ordinary chaos. And He wants us to not only survive, He wants to be our strength and help every step of the way. He uses those times to deepen and mature us as He brings us to a place, where like Micah, we finally bury our heads in our arms and say "Lord, I need You!!" God cares about you and me.

So, He cares. Then, why doesn't He fix everything and change our circumstances? Why doesn't He make life perfect for us? You know, Micah didn't find another bathroom, one didn't fall from the sky or arrive on a heavenly truck. In fact he and Eli and our daughter went back to the filthy portable unit - and survived - with STRICT instructions not to touch anyone or anything until after a bath which followed not long after!

God says to you and to me, if you let Me, I'll walk with you every step of the way, through every season, valley, and storm of life. Oh and by the way, not only will I walk with you, I will carry you - no matter how filthy you get. And the miracle is, He may not change our life circumstances but He will change us. And that is what matters most of all.

Psalm 62:1-2 (NLT) "I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress, where I will never be shaken."
Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."