But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Psalms 3:3
Lately my family and I have been going through some stuff. It feels like one thing after another has bombarded us. First, our house flooded from a water leak. We had to pack up our whole house to move into a hotel room for two weeks. Yep, that’s right. All five of us jammed into a tiny hotel room for two weeks.
After making it through that and moving back in, our daughter had total hip replacement surgery. So we’re still not settled from the flood, and Olivia and I head to Nashville alone for this surgery because Covid of course. This was her fifth hip surgery and nothing like the others. The first night was horrible. She cried out in pain all night, and I sat praying bedside helpless. We’re now home, and she’s doing great. But recovery is no walk in the park. There are still lots of things she can’t do alone because she can’t put weight on that leg for six weeks and so she can’t be left alone.
Then we’ve just been experiencing some drama. Somethings that we’ve really had to sort through. Deep hurts and offenses. And all of these things have fallen into my life that was already a bit of a struggle in the first place due to a son with special needs and a job I’m unhappy in. So through all of this, I’ve cried out to God saying, please no more. I can’t take it.
I have literally felt as though I’m drowning, and I’ve had to shift my focus. Because if we focus on the storm and the waves, we do drown. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
It’s so easy to give up when life seems to be crushing you from every side, but we have to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Philippians 1:6 tells us, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” No matter what I’m facing today, there is a reason. God is constantly working on us. Through trials we can either become better or bitter. If we constantly keep our eyes on our circumstances, we will definitely become bitter. We will always be asking why. On the other hand, if we keep our eyes on Him, we will become better. We will use our time in trials as growth.
It is a choice, and I know there are times I’ve failed at choosing to look at my Savior. I know, however, that the only way to keep making it through is to fix my eyes on the only One who can bring change and can bring peace. I pray that today if you are struggling with anything that you fix your eyes on Jesus.
Ribbons and Lace 