Perspective

While I was worried about whether our lunch donors had bought enough hamburgers for our annual Volunteer Picnic on Sunday, some dear friends were brought to their knees by a near-tragedy. When I read what happened later that night, first I had a meltdown, and then did the only thing I could do: Pray. And then I called another friend who I thought might have more information. But she didn't. So we cried together and shook our fists at the sky. I realized later that it was sort of Psalm-speak. We were angry and relieved and scared and hopeful and thankful, and while we talked to each other, it felt like a Psalm - volatile love-letters to God, full of praise and screams of confusion and frustration that echo with He is Good, He is Good, He is Good.

Praise God, He is good, and our friends are on the mend. Miraculously. And their story rippled through their contacts, and all of their contacts' contacts like a Bat Signal to prayer. And from the looks of it there were believers, seekers, and others lifting them up through clasped hands on at least 4 continents. That's a lot of Him glorified through one little family.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Perspective.

Well, I've got plenty of weakness. A glut of it, actually.

Why is it so hard to keep perspective in the daily grind? That normal grind of emails and ornery little dogs and tired days and always longing for the next thing? Just some rest and comfort. Geez, who promised any of us comfort, anyway? Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm just seeking after something I was never promised.

I heard a speaker at a conference remind us that if we cling to anything other than what the Lord has promised us (His Spirit, for one thing, which is enough, but also a lot more. Like suffering! Gasp!), we will always be disappointed, frustrated, and malcontent. She encouraged us to pour over the Word and meditate on the promises of God, and to let those steep into us and become our confidence. I remembered thinking "Hey, that sounds like  a good idea", but that's about as far as I got. But I've been ill at ease since this weekend, and I'm shuffling up a lot of things that have been slowly but steadily coming to mind. Things I've been clinging to, reaching for, and trying to grasp that are probably crap.

I was not promised comfort.
I was not promised health or a long life.
I was not promised ease, plenty of money, a cozy place to live, or permanence.
I was not promised a family, or children, or a perfect marriage, or carefree relationships.
I was not promised a tidy career plan, or a calm life of productivity and morning coffee in front of a sunny window.
And, while I admit that I have probably been in denial about this, my parents' deaths have not promised me some sort of free pass out of suffering and loss for the next however long. It's not like I've maxed out my quota or something.

I've had "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. The name of the Lord be praised!" from Job stuck in my head since Sunday night. While my heart thumps with thanks that the Lord did not take any dear ones away from this world this weekend, He calls for praise either way.