What I have learned in life is that most of the times when we take a walk with God, it is
uphill. We are asked by God to do many
things. Some are easy, but MOST
are hard.
As humans want it easy. Instant. The lifestyle and message from
the USA is this..."We will make it easy! Fast! Painless" Want food?
It's fast or zap it in a microwave. Want a better body? Pay someone to fix it
for you! Want a new car? Bigger House? More education? Get a loan! And use the credit card! Want to
delay working cause you don’t really know what to do? Stay with the 'rents! Get
that masters or second degree so you can make more and then pay off those
loans! Want a better marriage with someone who is more exciting/pretty/makes
more/ pays attention to you? Get a new spouse!
And Unfortunately the Christian world has followed
suit.....the lingo and the vibe is the same.....don't know what you want to do
in life? So you discern through a 6 month hiatus while you delve into the Word,
not doing anything. Don't feel led to do something? So you just
don't do it anymore. Find something else new that excites and just feels meaningful
and relevant. Life/Work/Marriage is suddenly hard and you are lonely/bored/not
feeling the love? So you do a 180 and say that you are gonna just Trust that
the Lord has something better for you.
Here's the things I have learned in walking the walk.
# 1 It's almost always uphill.
# 2 You have to walk and not just talk…and keep walking.
God does not always give us easy/fast/new/ or what we want to grow
us. He plants us in a spot and wants to see how we will grow our roots.
In the droughts....the finacial difficulties, sick children,
exhuastion of parenting, in lonliness and in boredom of work.
In the floods...too much work, too many commitments, too many
people needing you and the overwhelming needs of family
In the springtime....in the joyous times of fellowship with
others, and successes and triumphs.
And in times of loss and disease…..when we feel lost and alone and
that no one is there anymore.
I am NOT saying that
reading the bible and discernment are bad. I am not saying that we should stay
with a spouse that beats the shit out of us. Or that we can’t move to new paths
in your life.
What I am saying is this:
In the end you have to change the diaper. Get up and exercise. Manage
your money. Pay the bills. Get a job. Work at the job. Stay in the marriage and feed the dog.
In the end you have to DO THE HARD STUFF in order to grow deeper
roots.
Running away doesn’t work.
Pulling away doesn’t help.
And thinking life will be
easier if you take the easier path is foolish. A house built on sand.
Paul was JOYFUL in prison. [ that was a sucky place to live]
The Mary’s wept and STAYED at the foot of the cross. [ not the fearful, lonely place i would want to be]
The disciples walked out in pairs without the faintest idea how it
was gonna work out [ not a job i would feel led to do]
Only Judas fell into despair, because he know he took the easy way
out in the confusion. And his guilt overcame him.
The culture in the US looks at life and wants it ALL now. They
often mock and fear older people because they stick it out and “suck it up”
But what I have learned is that in staying planted ….where I was
PUT…not where I wanted to be [financially, professionally and in my”fun”
activities] has taught me more joy and perseverance and trust than if I had
chosen easily.
I have learned of my resilience. I have learned how I react and
feel in despair. I have
I am grieved, not only by our secular focus in the world, but by
our Christian walk to not face the realities that God has lovingly placed in
front of us to help us grow. Right here. Right now.
Because when we as Christians don’t do this…. When we don’t dig in and tough it out
and do the hard things…the uphill climbs… We are like trees walking out of a
forest and wondering why the forest isn’t growing and the oxygen levels drop.
Change the diaper. Every day. Each day. With joy and trust. And
you WILL change the world with God. You will see yourself grow and the forest and God's Amazing Hand in it all.
