Let me take you through my recent life circumstances. We found out a we had a major leak after getting a bill almost $100 higher than normal, then went through the process of detecting, getting to, and fixing the leak. One of our vehicles broke down as I was driving it with my daughter, losing power and power steering. Leaving me stuck at home for the foreseeable future during the day with a toddler (can I get a prayer). And lastly, my dad had a heart attack.
On the surface, these are all terrible things, and they are. But looking deeper, you can find something else. The water leak turned out to be in the ground not under the slab, saving us a ton of money. The car broke down as I was turning into our home which potentially saved our lives. Fixing the car, while still a headache for my husband, is something he can complete at home given a little help. Again, saving us a ton of money. My dad started feeling chest pains at 4am and didn’t go to the doctor until after 4pm. He didn’t have surgery until closer to 6pm yet was conscious and able to talk, walk, and move with little more than a small scar on his wrist and a complaint of being a pincushion.
Do you see it?
Do you see the grace?
It’s so incredibly easy to focus on the negatives when our lives get hard. To look at all that is going on and feel alone in the struggle of it all. To feel lost. But if we are His, the pain and loneliness is also filled with His grace. This is something David knew full well.
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.” Psalms 25: 16-17
David knew that the only way out of the loneliness, the pain, the never ending onslaught of life was to look for God. To praise Him, and to bask in his graciousness.
“Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” Psalms 25:20.
I can’t say every time something new happened I looked at Him and thanked Him. But I can tell you the times that I did, it made the suffering more bearable. It made the pain and confusion and loneliness more bearable. So why aren’t you reaching to Him now? See where He has brought grace in the struggles and enjoy your valley as God prepares your kingdom.
Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) one-year-old. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.