“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a NLT)
When read and understood in its original context, the clear answer to the above question is always a resounding “NO!” Nothing is impossible for God. Yet, in my life, and I’m sure in some of yours, more and more things are becoming, not only hard, but impossible.
A few weeks ago, I spent almost 4 hours trying to print an odd sized envelope, which on my previous printer was no problem, but I simply couldn’t figure out how to do it on my new printer (that’s apparently too smart for me to be able to trick it). I called the manufacturer, which proved pointless, then went back to “self-made” plans, which also ended in futility.
And, yes, of course, as I always do, I prayed. I literally begged God to help me figure it out. You know what He said? “No! It’s not as important as you’re making it out to be. Do what your wife suggested and move on.” That’s not what I wanted to hear, so I continued to work at figuring it out myself, but still to no avail.
Why am I telling you this? Because we do the same thing with other issues, we all face. Maybe it’s a family member, co-worker, neighbor, or __________. They get on our last nerve complaining, bragging, moaning or groaning about the scratch they got on their glasses or some other “crisis.” And we’re like, for crying out loud, get over it!
Yet, I’m convinced we may be missing an opportunity to be Jesus to someone, if we’d just dig a little deeper. So, I dug a little deeper as to why the seeming simple task of printing a specific sized envelope bothered me so much. Because on some levels, to me, it signaled an end in my life. An end of something simple I can no longer figure out how to do. “What’s next?” was the cry of my heart as I sank into my “pity party.”
It was if the Lord was saying: “I won’t protect you from these kinds of things that are going to come, I just want you to trust Me.” Perhaps that’s His purpose in allowing those annoying people (even if one of them is yourself) to be a part of your life. What if you took the person aside and asked them: “Hey, ____, I’ve noticed it’s really bothering you that _______. There’s an easy solution, why do you think it’s bothering you so much?”
You might be surprised what kinds of doors those conversations would open for you to share the Lord with someone. But perhaps the best person to ask that question is the one staring back at you from the mirror. Why do you let those annoyances get to you so much that it’s now YOU who has become annoying in your persistence in talking about it/them?
We all have issues with which we’re seeking to deal. Some lie hidden just below the surface, but if someone would just have the courage to ask, it could help us take the next step in learning something key about ourselves that could move us more closely, not only to our heavenly Father, but to those in our family and spheres of influence who would profit greatly from our insights.
What am I learning? A lot, but perhaps most importantly, that we’re all “fragile” in our own ways. Aging and/or sickness/disease/accidents, can rob us of many things, but they can also open the door to experiencing things we would have never dreamed we would or could experience. The Lord is faithful and good and won’t waste ways to teach us what will ultimately enable us to become more like Him. They may not be funny, but they can certainly be fruitful in our life if we’ll let them be.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 