Turning Fire into Rain

                Lately I have been experiencing one of those times in life where the world seems to be conspiring against me to make my life as hard as possible. I realize that statement is very conceded, but I think we have all had times when we feel like no one is kind and understanding and everything that can go wrong does. First this phone breaks, then that car breaks down. When they are fixed, that phone breaks and this car breaks down. The holidays come with many expenses as illness works its way through every member of our household (including the cat!) and right around this time we find out our health insurance is gone and our options for alternative healthcare are unaffordable. As we prepare to entertain every family member within driving distance over the holidays, my husband and I pray that the termites that live in the very thin walls of the very old house we rent have not weakened the floor so much that we all fall through it. Despite all of this, today I was challenged to open my eyes to the miraculous work God is doing in my life, but lately I have been struggling to understand why everything seems to be going wrong while my husband and I are trying so hard to be who God made us to be.

                First Peter 4 was the passage my husband and I chose to read with our coffee today and in it Peter begins by reminding us of the suffering that Christ endured. He makes the bold claim that the one who suffers in life is finished with sin because he has stopped trying to get all of the pleasure out of life for himself and turned his focus to doing God’s will (which is not always very pleasant). He challenges us to be hospitable and intently love one another while speaking God’s love into the lives of those around us. He tells us not to be surprised when life turns against us for doing this but to rejoice that we have the opportunity to do God’s will. He tells us in these times we should “entrust [ourselves] to a faithful Creator.”

                After reading this I felt very guilty for feeling sorry for myself. I began to realize that with every bad thing that has happened over the last few weeks has come an opportunity to show the strength of God’s love to others. How blessed am I to not just witness, but to have the chance to be a part of the miraculous work that God is doing? How can I take the next negative situation that comes into my life and turn it into a chance to speak God’s word and love into someone else’s life? And how clear is God’s faithfulness when things go wrong yet I am still cared for through His provision?

                God, please help me to trust in Your faithfulness when things go wrong. Thank You for Your great love and providing me with the opportunity to show Your love to others in my life. Help me to continue to become the person You made me to be. Amen.