Recently I found myself having one of those icky days– you know, the kind where it seems like everything that could go wrong does. We’ve all been there. You might be running late for an important meeting and get a flat tire on the way. Maybe you were down to the wire with reaching a submission deadline, and your computer crashed. And then, in addition to this inconvenience, a million other problems piled up until your patience meter finally exploded. That was the kind of day I experienced recently. I wound up with frustration, anger, and, honestly, some fear.
It’s crazy how quickly the human mind goes into full-on crisis mode when we feel backed into a corner. We throw up walls in defense, fixate on every little detail, and frequently put ourselves at the mercy of whatever our situation may be. So this is my confession to you that I, too, experience these struggles.
That day I sat a little too long in my car with hot tears streaming down my face and wondered, “How do I get through this?”. As my mind ran through the catalog of problems I faced, I had the strength to muster up one tiny ounce of truth–This is temporary. Today is temporary.
At that moment, faith began to rise up so strongly within me. I began to pray and speak truth over my life with the authority of the Holy Spirit living inside me. I recited Matthew 7:25, “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”(ESV) I claimed the promise of John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”(ESV) I remembered to cast my anxieties on HIM, just as 1 Peter 5:7 instructs because He CARES for us.
It’s these moments of surrender when our faith is indeed expanded. Choosing to surrender and relent to His sovereignty despite the circumstance, says to our Father, “I trust you.” And it creates space for Him to blow us away with His goodness. Immediately, the atmosphere around me changed. My perspective shifted. And the rest of the day set before me didn’t seem too hard to tackle.
