The Bruised Reed- When You Feel Overwhelmed and Under Able

I woke up this morning with a headache that made me understand why headaches are often described as 'splitting.' I felt so miserable I considered amputation at the neck as my only option. Of course, that would be a permanent solution to a temporary problem and the side effects outweighed the benefits at that point. I opted for some Advil and some caffeine. It took some time, but eventually they worked. There is no mistaking that I am coming down with something.

Once I had the headache under control, I made my way to the pharmacy to purchase more medications. If I become "Nearer my God to Thee" sick, I don't have anyone to run to the store for me. I appreciate the wisdom of preemptive strikes. I registered my identification and runny nose with the pharmacist in exchange for the right to purchase some Pseudofed. It irritates me to have to write my name in their little book but it's the law. Besides the stuff you can buy OTC doesn't work nearly so well as good old fashioned Pseudofed. While I was there I bought a couple seed packets for my garden. Somehow buying something I need and like makes doing things I don't like more palatable.

I am still not used to the differences between Kentucky and California. In California my vegetable garden would be in the ground and underway. Here I am just gathering supplies. The locals tell me that gardens go in on Derby Day, the first Saturday in May. Today is beautiful and tomorrow we may have snow. If you don't like the weather in Kentucky you just have to wait a few minutes. I came home and put the supplies in the garage and realized I don't really feel like gardening today anyway.

I am enjoying the sunshine a little, but not enough to do anything physical. I have a house that needs cleaning but I don't want to be inside. I have some issues to work out and I can't find the solutions. I am in that restless place where your 'want to' and 'need to' get trumped by feeling overwhelmed and under able. I am worrying about and having empathy for my kids.

My youngest is doing well, but she has some choices she made as a very young adult that are making things difficult for her now. Nothing major, she is paying debts when she would like to be saving money. Being a mom has been a big eye-opener for her and she has shifted all her priorities. Sometimes she needs to be encouraged that doing the right thing is difficult but worth it. My oldest girl and her husband have made a hard life for themselves. They are caught in some loopholes and cannot find a way out. I know the way out, but they can't find it. When asked I tell them the way out, but they can't understand it. The don't see the cost of making things right now will be cheaper than waiting until later. They are being penny wise and pound foolish with their souls. Both of my kids grew up with the gospel but neither of them is following the Lord. All I can do is pray for them.

With my headache under control and the sun warming my face, I read something in The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes

"Suffering brings discouragements, because of our impatience. 'Alas!' we lament, 'I shall never get through such a trial.' But if God brings us unto trial he will be with us in the trial, and at length bring us out, more refined. We shall lose nothing but dross (Zech. 13:9). From our own strength we cannot bear the least trouble, but by the Spirit's assistance we can bear the greatest."

It is good to be reminded that I am not alone in my spiritual discomforts. The concern for my kids and the desire to see them through their life difficulties is nothing compared to the care and concern my Heavenly Father has for me. Signing my name in the pharmacists book is a small nuisance. My name has been written in the Book of Life. Whatever this world brings, no matter how difficult and hard, my soul has been provided for and my debt to God paid in full. It doesn't get better than that.

Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NAS)

Character Flaws, Sin and Remediation

I have been thinking about my last post in which I offered to talk about how having a job has shown or magnified my character flaws. Before I do though, I want to distinguish between character flaws and sin. My character flaws predispose me to sin in certain areas more readily than in others. Indulging in my character flaws is sinful. Entertaining the idea of indulging my character flaws is sinful. They are the weaknesses in me where my flesh makes itself known by screaming, "You know you want to!!" Too often I hear Christians lamenting that they "make mistakes" or are victims of their genetic make-up and intimate that they should, therefore, be excused from culpability for being prone to certain activities. Our cultural dependence on a medical model to define our behavior has given many what they see as a plausible excuse for sin. I don't see that caveat in the Word. For Christians, the Word is always our standard. It is the standard by which all will be j

Fear Down, Hope and Peace to Go!

Last night I had the honor and privilege to present some information to the women of my church. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate them. The seminar I did was on fear. God is clever and He had me present the information to them because I needed it. It's not that I don't want to study things for my own benefit and growth, but whenever I do a topical study to teach it, I see how badly I needed it and how much more I have to repent of than I realized. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. That's a topic I want to return to in another post. I want to talk about the ladies for a moment. They are an incredibly loving group of women. Women who seek God and are teachable. They have gone out of their way to include me and love on me, which speaks volumes of their characters because I am not all that lovable. I am not being self-deprecating here. I am a mix of endearing and maddening qualities like anyone else. What I am telling you is

Super Church a song for the Emergent-sy

In the early 70s I was in a youth choir at my church. Our youth pastor was a musician and his way of connecting with us as a group was through the choir and music. Somehow there was an affiliation between him and The Continental Singers, New Hope and Jeremiah People. He was worked with Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus too, I think. Are any of these names familiar to you? Though I remember the church fondly I was a profoundly lost and troubled young woman during my years there. That and time have muddled the memories quite a bit. Today I was digging through some old paperwork and one of the books to the musical we did. It's Getting Late For the Great Planet Earth, a folk rock oratorio by Cam Floria. Yes, that's right. Cam Floria put Hal Lindsey to music. There's a lot to laugh about and some to groan about but as I was looking through the songs and remembering, I found this little ditty and I only wish I could sing it for you. Just remember that this is circa 1972 and even th

rambling rosemarie

Search This Blog