Daddy but...




Daddy but....

As my children were growing up, they often required discipline.  No surprise.  But discipline/punishment is never pleasant nor desired.  Hebrews 12:11 affirms this,  “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  And of course, they always had objections.  It’s an old joke but bears repeating....I’m in the midst of scolding my children  and they cry out “Daddy but....”and I get even angrier(not really) and say, “Don’t you dare call me daddybut again or I’ll make your punishment worse.”  A bit of levity made the discipline a bit easier...for me anyway.  

In the past several months I have said to God as I have been looked over, ignored or passed up for this job or that... “Lord, but this doesn’t make any sense.  You see God, you don’t understand.  I was perfect for that job.  If I don’t get this job then I don’t know what I’ll do.”  Many days I felt that I could not go another moment in my current job.  I recognize my shortsightedness, but often fear takes over and causes me to have irrational thoughts.  Irrational, that is, for the follower of Jesus Christ.  The believer, more than anyone, ought to be able to face each day with courage and hope because we know that God has our back.  We have the Scriptures which supply us with endless passages of the trials of men and women and how God met each of them in their moments of desperation.  And the help He gave them often wasn't what they expected.  And for that we should be grateful.  Why?  Because we have a sovereign, good God who knows better than we do what we need and what will glorify Him.  Easily said, but even with that knowledge, I still struggle.

While searching for a permanent pastoral position, I have chosen to start a handyman business in order to pay the bills.  It seemed to make sense at the time.  Immediately, I began to get calls and I praised God for confirming my decision.  After about 2 weeks, things slowed down.  So much so, that I went almost a week with nothing.  “God, where are you now?”  “Daddy but....”  Another day would go by and then the bills were due.  “Lord, what now?”    Then a call would come and another.  And I would praise God.  Of course, there is a pattern here that has repeated itself throughout my life.  Complain/praise God/complain/praise God....etc.  

Maybe I’m supposed to learn more than just to treat God like the cosmic parent who’s supposed to meet my every need.  Maybe there’s more to faith than getting what I need in the nick of time.  It reminds me of this thing that James talks about called perseverance and it bothers me.  James 1:2-4  says,
       "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
       because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 
       Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
       not lacking anything." 

It gives me the impression that I am a work-in-progress and that I’m not mature and that more trials are coming.  I remember in my twenties dealing with singleness and other issues and I grasped a hint of what this meant and I prayed, “Okay Lord, I understand I must face trials, but can I have some new ones.”  He answered my prayer.  

So, today I have work and actually, I have work for probably 6 weeks or more.  Does that increase my faith?  Sure! But maybe God is trying to teach me that faith is more than getting what I need NOW.  I think God is trying to tell me that HE is sufficient for me regardless of the circumstances.  And what I have today is enough, for tomorrow will take care of itself.  

I am still hoping and sometimes pining away for a different future than the one I can see now, but every once in awhile I get a glimmer of the reality that HE wants to impress upon me.  Live for today.  Be a blessing to everyone you meet.  Stop looking for your needs to be met and meet someone else’s.  Be God’s hands and feet.  Be God's.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rising from the Ashes

Image
    Rising from the ashes Day 52 since Tracy made the journey from this earthly realm to what many call paradise.   Not the new heaven and new earth that are promised at the end of time but a place of perfection, of peace, of total healing and joy.   I want to share what I think is a   balance perspective on what it means to lose my life partner.   I still have so many questions but I want to let you know what I think I know. In this perspective there is good and bad.   Positive and negative.   Pain and heartache along with relief and joy.   Let me first tell you that the loneliness is overwhelming.   I think this has something to do with the spiritual union that we shared.   We had become one flesh and that was ripped away.   And this seeps into what my future may look like.   It’s hard to imagine doing traditional ministry, i.e. pastoring.   We did this together.   She was my confidant, friend and counselor. ...
Read more

How Are Tracy and Allen Handling Their Situation?

Image
  How are Allen & Tracy handling their situation? “The Lord God is my strength,   And He has made my feet like deer’s feet,   And has me walk on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:19 Hannah Hurnard wrote an allegory entitled Hinds Feet on High Places about a little crippled girl named Much Afraid who lives in the village of Much-Trembling, and her desire to go to the high places with the Shepherd.   The story follows her journey not immediately to the wonderful places where the Shepherd resides, but she first goes through the valley and is assigned the unexpected companions of Sorrow and Suffering.   Just as it was confusing to her to continue to limp along and to be plagued by miserable relatives like Craven Fear, Dismal Forebodings and Spiteful, it is also mystifying to us when we accept Christ as our Savior and life seems to get harder rather than easier. At one point as Much Afraid is gazing at the beautiful high places, t...
Read more

The Smoothing of the Stone....A Continuing Journey

Image
Thirty two years ago I got the idea for a book that would outline the serpentine path that my life has taken.   Even then I had experienced significant pitfalls, broken relationships and rejection that I thought would kill me.   Not all was doom and gloom; these were mixed in with tremendous opportunities and blessings.   In an effort to gain perspective, I came up with the title, The Smoothing of the Stone   and began writing a blog in 2012, imagining that a book was forth coming.   Eleven years later I can look back and say, “Well, you might have had something to offer then, but now…oh boy…now look what you’ve got.”   Of course, maybe I should keep waiting because the stone, that is me, pitted and marred by the tossing and tumbling, still at times looks fairly smooth at first glance.   In the past ten years my seasoning process has stepped up a level.   Rejection of my character and personality has revealed flaws of which I was not aware.  ...
Read more