God's Not Finished With You yet, He Is in Control and He Is Good

Have you ever had one of those going through the motions kind of days? A day when you feel like one more mishap on top of an already full plate will nudge you into the abyss. Now, that may not have been your day this week, but we all have days like this.

When experiencing this kind of day, it's next to impossible to find the humor at the moment. It's also not likely that you will breathe and count to ten. It's more likely that you will want to fall right where you are, cry your bloody head off until you can’t even breathe, and then maybe fall asleep, or do some mindless no brain activity.

I don't want to be morbid by telling you this is inevitable, but you will at some point in your life have a moment with a horrible breaking point. I am also sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it will come when you least expect it. It will even probably come when there is absolutely no time or place for you to fall apart completely.

I would like to share three points below that may help in these moments:

1. God gives us no more than we can handle. It is also true that He will provide us with what we need and will provide whatever or whoever may be the touch point we require. To be honest, it may be helpful to seek those with a faithful and strongly committed relationship with the Lord. God will send them your way, lean on them, learn from them and they will, in turn, learn from your story. No matter when this moment arrives, it's still going to be a shocker as we are not in control and it's not our timing. I do want to assure you that although reason of why may not be in that complete, “I GIVE UP” moment, it will follow in a short amount of time if we can participate in active listening.

2. Active listening is an essential skill. Learning how to become a better listener can increase your productivity, and improve our relationships. To actively listen is to restate or paraphrase what you have heard the speaker say, hence confirming the information given has been understood accurately by both parties. The most important relationship is with God as we actively seek and listen for His Spirit through His word, and those He sends to our path. If we work on this skill of working on our relationship with Him, then everything else falls into place.

3. Knowledge is everything but even given the tools with the experience we do not always utilize said weapons in a pinch, or sometimes we misuse tools and cause more damage. Be sure NOT to use knowledge as a mallet on others; someone will always get hurt. Humble yourself to the servant heart and the Master will share the experience with and through you.

First, let me set a picture, you're having a particularly rough week, and maybe your plate has, so much on it that you know in your mind, there is no room left, not even for salt. Then someone takes the salt shaker ready to sprinkle the plate to make it taste a tiny bit better. This plate is already the most undesirable plate; let’s say it's a full plate of liver and onions, this to me would be a very unpalatable plate.

I can’t see myself eating liver and onions even if I was on a deserted island. I'm afraid I sound spoiled, but the truth is the thought of liver makes me cringe. To make it a little more, disgusting let's add that the liver has spoiled and has a particularly foul odor. You are going along trying to stomach the liver as it was the only option, but then it happens, the salt shaker top is loose and pours out all over the already distasteful plate (this is hypothetical of course, feel free to insert your " I give up" moment, here.)

Here it is the “OH MY WORD I GIVE UP” moment. Now here is the fun part. You can’t give up. You're strong; you have faith, people rely on you. You are stronger than this moment, and this too shall pass, but remember, it's the “I GIVE UP!" moment. So you lose it somehow, someway, and you don't even care, because you gave up, right?

Yes, knowledge is everything, but we don't always use the tools that we have in a pinch. I am a Christian I know to go to God immediately. I know His word is accessible and I know if I use that word I am wrapped in His arms of comfort so quickly. Again, I am human and not always do I use what is readily there.

Sometimes I need to be nudged or reminded that when I am in my pit, there is no greater joy than knowing God will be there at all times. Sometimes even when we are not listening, He is still actively present, as the Holy Spirit. Every once in a while, He flows out of the radio, sits YOU right on HIS lap. He tickles your spirit and makes you see Him so clearly.

James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

When God reminds you to smile He will take the tears away.

When you read His word you're filled with the Spirit that took those tears to the cross.

When you actively listen He will come to you in your, I give up, moments.

When you have the tools, try not to forget to use them.

No worries if we forget, He reminds us, close your eyes and listen.

It is so important to know the word of God and study it, you can call upon it for every experience in your life. We also see in reviewing that word, that the fallen angel lives among us and the temptation of our faith will be forceful while in the valleys.

We also know by reading His word there is no greater power than that of God our Father in heaven. He will always find a way to make us see the life line He is throwing into that pit to pull us back up again.

Try hard not to be the perfect Christian, for there is no such thing. There is only a perfect Lord and Savior. Jesus suffered, He cried out, and God answers that He is God.

We are human, not God, try to find the laughter in the tears. Try to share the smiles with one who is there and try to remember how awesome it will be when we all get to be together in heaven with Him.

All of a sudden you get away from reality and you’re sitting in your car, and you think to keep going. If you keep going, it will go away. Nope, so at last, you wait. You let your head drop, and you sob, and you pray out loud very animated, I might add while sitting in a parking spot. You have already set the car ignition, and the motor is purring because praise God, at least, the car has not broken down with everything else, and for that, you are very grateful. So you wait, you have just driven yourself for the first time in weeks as your plate that was distasteful was providing some already severe limits and boundaries and while fussing you were complying with those limits.

This moment has followed after weeks of those slamming moments of one thing after another. You are trying to be an example for those around you, knowing that God has grand plans for all of this distasteful stuff on your very full plate, and yet this is your very human moment. You want to give up, head down tears flowing generously, in the quiet.

Now the radio has come on simultaneously with your purring vehicle, and it's playing in the background, but, you're unaware and frankly not paying attention. You are not actively listening. Then you slowly succumb to the quiet and relax and at that very instance of helplessness the song comes on the radio “Brandon Heath ~ Wait And See ~ He’s Not Finished With You Yet.”

WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT, first a smile, then a full-blown hysterical laugh with arms moving and pointing up to heaven as if to say, “alright already I hear you, GOD,” You feel a particular kind of JOY that only God could make a moment like this happen. The best part about your JOY is you’re finally able to lift your head up.

Now directly in front of you is a red Volvo and then you see the woman staring at you as if to say, “ARE YOU A CRAZY.” You realize she has witnessed your entire moment and then you laugh even harder as she stares. So you calm down your laughter and slightly smile and wave as she is so mesmerized by you. WAIT FOR IT, yep, she totally rolls her eyes and drives away. All at once, you know it's okay, you're okay again because God came to you through the radio and you were smiling and not rolling your eyes.