Tam asked what you do if you’re in a dark tunnel
Yes, I could say I’m in a tunnel right now; or I could write it off as mid-life crisis. I don’t know what tomorrow holds; I don’t know what God wants me to be doing for Him; I don’t know where I should be going, or what I should be doing.
I don’t know how to make my wife feel better about herself. I don’t have an answer for her questions. I’m not comfortable with not having the answers or solution; I’m not comfortable with “I don’t know.”
But then I turn on the news and imagine the thousands of Chinese people that are trapped right now in a truly dark place – dead, dying, or alive – and I realize I don’t have that much to complain about.
This is when I realize how blessed I am, how I don’t really have much to complain about, and how I should be focused on others. But what can I do about all those people on the other side of the world???
Nothing, really. Even praying for them seems more like appeasing my own guilt feelings, rather than truly caring about the nameless people experiencing all the pain and suffering.
God is big enough to control the outcomes of all these world disasters, yet personal enough to also care about the stupid little things that we get so spun up about. I really appreciate that from Him, but sometimes feel a little silly bringing up my *problems* at all.
Someone said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff; and it’s all small stuff.” Isn’t that true?
right.
i’m certainly not suggesting that in “comparison” our drama here is anything like that which is currently happening in China. But I do believe that when I (we) can look at our own little hurdles appropriately and with the right perspective (as you have already)…then we will be better equipped to reach out and serve others. The point I was making is the need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto Hope, HIM, the Victor!
I agree with 100% – our problems are truly “silly” in light of so many others.
Thanks for the challenge.
I think we’ve often said God is concerned with our hearts. I think that’s a two-way street.
We can me joyful in heart even in bad circumstances. An example of this was when we ‘discovered’ the church leadership of some former church were, in fact, not church leaders. We can be despondent in the best circumstance (middle-class USA). Both suggest our spiritual self (our heart) is not linked to comforts in this world.
You wife is a teacher. So are you. When I’ve seen either of you teach, I have seen and felt joy.
love this post…its seems that we are talking about two kinds of tunnels….physcial and spiritual. Both are hard places to be, and both are a learning time with our Creator, I think we learn as much as we allow HIM to teach.
I think all believers have times when we are just unsure of what God wants or where HE is leading…recently went through a long long time like this…and for me, HE was teaching me to praise HIM…just do it, thank HIM, and be content with where things are today, trust HIM to know what HE is doing….that is where I have been at, and I am learning, but sometimes its slow…not fond of the tunnels/darkness, but I guess its all part of the walking by faith and not by sight.
Love ya Bad!
Thanks tam, ric, and Darla for your thoughts – and for stopping by.
I’m feeling much better!