When I sit and think of all of the ways that God has blessed me, I always think about the people in my life.
Relationships.
Over the past 26+ years of our married lives, men and women, and even children, have waltzed into our paths and grabbed hold of our hearts in a deep, rich way.
Its humbling…
If my family were ever in crisis mode, there are those in our lives right now that we would call on for support, and even those who we only touch base with once or twice a year, that I know would hop a plane or rearrange their schedule if we shouted for help.
These people…they are not in our lives by accident. We know that God caused us to not only cross paths, but feel comfortable and extend trust to one another in our conversations. In our time together.
I hope that these people know who they are and that we would drop everything and rush to their side if they needed us too. I think they do.
Relationships are work. These deep, meaningful, abiding friendships…they take time and effort from both sides, and when God is in it, it’s always, always worth the time. Always.
Have you ever been in a season of life where there were just more questions than answers?
Maybe its questions you have about your own life.
Maybe its questions you are carrying for a friend.
Sometimes, life just happens. Spouses walk, our children make choices that we cautioned them not to make and are shouldered with the consequences, our parents become ill, a friend goes in for a biopsy, someone loses a job because of down sizing…the list can go on and on and at times seem overwhelming. I’ve heard bad things happen in 3’s but sometimes it’s 5’s and 6’s, do you know what I mean?
What do we do? What CAN we do if it’s not even us with the question, but someone we love dearly?
In the Bible, Matthew chapter 6 lends some practical direction.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Are we not much more valuable? It’s like he knows we have to be reminded of this, and he’s right, we do. We forget our value.
We are loved and cherished by God himself. The creator of the trees in our back yard. The maker of the moon and stars. The One who came up with colors and animals and the beach. The One who created relationships, who gave us the desire to connect with other people and ultimately to have relationship with Him.
Sometimes we need reminding that we are not just more valuable than the birds, but we are much more valuable.
I love the way that The Message translation says it…
” Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.”
Matthew 6:26
Not tied down to a job description. You are more than a wife, a mother, a sister, a Receptionist, a homemaker, a teacher…You are the apple of God’s eye. You are His focus.
When you have questions for your own lives, dig into the relationships you’ve been blessed with. It’s no coincidence that during this time in your life, these people are surrounding you. Reach back and grab an old friend too if you can’t get them off your mind. Don’t isolate yourself, you’re already surrounded, now grab hold and hang on.
Let those around you support you when you feel that you can’t stand on your own. Lean into them. Take a breath and allow God to use these people to help carry you through your questions. They may not have answers, but they may have wisdom, strength and endurance when you feel you are lacking.
You count far more to God than any other thing He ever created. We all do. Let’s grab hold of that truth, stick it deep down into our soul, keep our chin up, lock arms with whomever is there and keep moving forward. Together.
No worrying about our needs, God’s got us. Wherever we are heading as we face those questions head on, He has already been there. He has prepared us for such a time as this.
And although we may never really have the answers to all of our questions, we know the One who does, and that’s really all that matters.
Simple Faith 