Struggling Well With Life

Walked the campus last night. There is so much happening here on Wednesday nights - every room has activity. Sat in while the choir rehearsed a few songs and I enjoyed them enjoying themselves. Strolled over and snuck into Senior High, can’t let my girls see me - that’s their space, but listened in as prayer requests were being shared. Women’s groups in every nook and cranny of the church with Bibles and notebooks. I had some great impromptu conversations with folks. Listened to a worship team in the Cafe as they ran through music for the weekend. I love this place.

My blogging of late has been a bit heavy, which reflects the weight I feel in light of some of the difficulties so many folks around me are facing these days.  However, there are some bright and light moments in this life of struggle.  My girls blew me away last night.  As a parent, you often have to cover the bases for your children at Christmas and birthdays.  You have to get them a gift to give their mom for every holiday.  I think we may have some emerging adults in our home.  Last night at my birthday dinner (shrimp and cheese grits, which was to die for) the girls gave me a gift certificate to one of my favorite restaruants.  Not only did their gift show me that they knew what I liked, they actually drove there to purchase it, and used their very own money.  If you are a parent, you get the significance here!

Wow, another long night of tossing and turning. Probably a combination of cold medicine and a heavy heart. When I wake up like that I believe God is calling me to pray. I honestly think I prayed for and about every person and situation I have ever met, and was aware of, throughout my entire life, and it only got me to 3am. I am in a role where truth is expected and required from me, but the reality is - the truth hurts. It eventually leads to freedom if we allow it, but sometimes that journey is pretty long. Seeing the truth being weighed into lives around me is like watching surgery. I am praying for the great Physician, the Mighty Counselor to exact His work in us, in me, and to make His presence so undeniably clear in the process.

Nothing is certain, absolutely nothing - except Jesus. The news politically and financially is bombarding when that TV set goes on early morning. The devastation of storms and catastrophic circumstances remind us of the unpredictability of any given day, leaving folks in the wake of the earths movements, with so little, and so much grief. One day your healthy, and the next day you are not. How many of us have not had a cancer diagnosis in our family? So few. Relationships that seem to be the backbone, and the strength of our community are often not what they appear. People fail you. And truthfully, we fail people. I know the world says that we Christians use Jesus as a crutch, and that He is an excuse for weak people - and you know what I say - “Absolutely”. In fact I really don’t know how folks face the day without Jesus. He is the only certainty in my life, and I am clinging to Him today.