A Rough Road

It's so doggone hard to write a post when life feels like it's closing in on you from every side. I refer to it as being in a pressure cooker. Have you ever felt like that? I like humor. I like to laugh. I'd much rather be passing on encouragement or writing a humorous post that has people in stitches than having a big ol' pity party for myself. Sometimes it's hard to find the good in all that is going on when you are in the middle of a mountainous mess.

My first response is to question God. Is He punishing us for something? Why, when things are at the bottom of the bucket, does He seem so far away? Why does it always seem like His answer is No, no and no.

I've been reading the book of Job lately. I was encouraged to see that Job, the man that found favor with God, had himself a big ol' pity party...just like me. It let me know that even in spite of my emotional roller coaster, that God still cares for me and is listening. Sometimes, there are just no answers for what life is throwing at us. I was listening to a sermon once on this very topic and was reminded again that just because we belong to God, doesn't make us exempt to the evil forces of this world. So God isn't punishing me, I just happen to live in a sinful world. Thank goodness, I have God to carry me through all this mess. I can't imagine how things would be if God were not on my side.

I have to continue in faith and trust and believe that all things will work out. I made a comment to my husband the other day that I wondered why it always seems that God's answer is no, no and no again. His response was a good reminder to me also. He said that we don't see every thing that God is working through to answer us. I suppose he was right. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, not seen, right? You have to hold on to hope. That is what keeps you going. Don't lose hope. (Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)...What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.)

I don't want to go into all the details but it's pretty heavy for me to bear on my own. If you think of it, I would really like for you to pray for us. We need God's wisdom, His strength and a pure God-size miracle.