Do you ever wonder if God has a sense of humor? I believe He does. Read a little further, and I’ll tell you one not-so-fun way I found out.
It was time to write this week’s blog. A few weeks ago I had written down an idea for a brief post. Shouldn’t take long. But what would have normally taken an hour or less ended up three hours later as a nightmare: an unfinished, impossible task.
It Seemed So Simple
I had done it before: a simple “day-votional truth” framed in a beautiful nature photo, with super-imposed brief, encouraging words. Only this time it wouldn’t work. I tried everything I knew.
I wanted a simple, short post. I had already missed last week’s post due to illness. In fact, for the last three months, I’ve encountered a series of strange, but minor physical challenges, each with no explanation except for the last one–a simple upper respiratory infection.
Each “challenge” had added to my impatience and compounded my lack of resilience. My chronic symptoms seemed so insignificant when I compared them to the list of serious complaints and conditions filling my inbox daily–prayer requests from friends and acquaintances. I felt petty, puny, and pitiful, but couldn’t seem to shake off the discouragement. My middle name is “persistence.” I am usually doggedly determined to figure something out or to keep moving toward a goal. But I was tired. And it took only one unsolvable technical issue to send me over the edge.
I Give Up
When my efforts to write this week’s post failed, I pushed back from the computer, disgusted. “I give up! I am not a quitter, but I give up!” And the tears followed.
About two hours later, I returned to my computer and re-read the “day-votional truth” I wanted to encourage you with this week:
PRAYER + GRATITUDE
=
PEACE – WORRY
I felt foolish and began laughing–long, sweet laughter! But wait, there’s more.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
I re-read the verse that was to document the “day-votional truth” and accompany the picture above:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I hope you understand my laughter. I had done everything “technically” possible to write the post. But the very thing I needed was the truth itself: “praying about everything with gratitude”–including the problem with my blog. As soon as I did, God’s peace began to flood my thoughts and body.
No, I didn’t try to make the picture work technically like I wanted to today. Somehow it didn’t seem to matter. But I slept peacefully last night for the first time in a long time. The antibiotics are working, and I felt much better today. As I was falling asleep last night, I imagined I heard God’s laughter, too.
My Personal Prayer for You
Lord, deliver us from taking ourselves or our circumstances so seriously that we cannot see what’s happening on the inside. Thank You for your patience with us, for your peace that passes all understanding, and for all the ways You meet our needs. Teach us to worry less and laugh more. And God, thank you for your sense of humor.
Day-votedly Yours,
Rebecca