Compared to Forever

"We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever."
~2 Cor 4:17-18

I woke up this morning from a very troubling dream. It happens at times, but is no fun none the less. I just looked at Jesus and asked, "Why?" Just like a child looks at his parent with the eyes filled with pain and confusion, I looked to my Father. But God the Father took my eyes without hesitation and directed they to 2 Corinthians.

The words began to fill me with energy and hope. confusion began to leave and my mind once again understood that, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor 3:17) You can't argue with freedom. That is what we all desire. Freedom from the pain and afflictions from life and Satan.

If you have ever been in pain, welcome to humanity. If you have never been freed from pain while it is happening, let me introduce you to my God. Pain comes, stirring everything within you up, and often leaves scares. But, God is in the business of healing. He does not have to take the situation away to heal you. He does not have to remove all the emotions to heal you. He only needs access to your heart.

We literally have a whole lotta troubles going on in our lives, no doubt. Without them, though, we would be in a pretty sad state in life. So, how does God begin the healing process? By asking us to look beyond the few inches in front of us. Look beyond the few feet in front of us. Look beyond the few miles in front of us. Look beyond a few years in the future. Look to eternity. There will not be financial problems in eternity. You will not have awkward situations in eternity. You will not have to choose between food and gas in eternity. You will not be hit or abused; ignored or exalted; made to feel insecure or cocky.

The situation you are in will only last a short time. Whether it be a few days or a few decades, it is only a passing moment compared to forever.

Stress

"15 Then Nathan went home. And the Lord caused the son of David and Bathsheba, Uriah's widow, to be very sick. 16 David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night. 17 The elders of David's family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
18 On the seventh day the baby died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, 'Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to us. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do something awful.'
19 When David saw his servants whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked the, 'Is the baby dead?' They answered, 'Yes, he is dead.'
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed himself. put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord's house of worship...."
     ~2 Samuel 12:15-20

Having had a tough day, and hearing council from a good friend about letting go of stress, I knew that I wanted to return to my hommie David and recall his many stressful situations. How did he deal?

I carefully and prayerfully opened my eyes to this chapter. Although David's situation isn't similar in any way to my situation, stress is stress. There were a couple things that jumped out at me. It is all that human nature shinning through.

1) The struggle.
After hearing from Nathan that his baby was going to die, David shut down. Nathan spoke all that God asked him to speak. It was all very clear what the consequences of David's actions were and why they were going to occur. But, after hearing these things, David shut down. Not easy things to grasp, yes that is true, but the deeper struggle is acceptance.
How easy is it to accept the hurricanes that come our way. It's a whole lot easier to curl into a ball or to lose momentum. The emotions that desire to linger during these times are dangerous. They are so borderline. You desire to give God all in the situation, but.... There is the 'but'. That's why I use the term struggle.

2) The Hearing Impaired
When you are at the point of deciding whether or not to give all to the Lord, we often times become like the hearing impaired- temporarily at least. Everyone tried to talk to David. It got to the point where they were not sure how emotionally stable he was. When the baby actually died, everyone was walking on eggshells, unsure of what would happen at any second.
At that moment when the flesh is weak but oh so strong and you hear Jesus speaking, do you listen to him. It's like when we are in class. You hear your boring-redundant professor speaking, but are you intently listening? Internalizing the words leaving his/her mouth?

"21 David's servants said to him, 'Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you fasted and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food.'
22 David said, 'While the baby was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. I thought, 'Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.' But now that the baby is dead, why should I fast? I can't bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.'"
     verses 21-22

Breakthrough. Choosing not to stress about things that are not in your control (or in your control). David was able to make that choice in regard to losing his child. His child.... How much more should I be able to dedicate all of my emotions to God? How much more should I let things go. I have not experienced the pain in losing a child. But, it's not the amount of pain that makes the difference, it's amount of peace that you really want. Either you desire to be at rest or you desire to hold onto the unrest.

I am no longer stressed.

Focus.... or A.D.D.??

Ha! Focus. What are you?

So, I may joke, but focus is not a strength of mine. Determination suuure, I've got plenty of that. Focus, however... not so much.

Often times I wonder why I have to be so A.D.D. Like, why can't I just be beast and have mad focus skills? I guess it is that proverbial thorn in my side or it just is what it is. One thing I know for sure is that I have it. =)

What I ask of you Lord, right now, at this very moment, is for you to grant me the honor of having my mind think about only one thing right now. SCHOOL! Two tests tomorrow and I need the peace of knowing that time is not flying away from me without there being anything I could do about it. So, I come to you in prayer. I open my heart and my mind to you. Enter in and cleanse. Take away the urges to be distracted by this and that. Take me through this night, because honestly only you can at this point.

So, since I know that you are the bomb dezzy and can do all things, I ask this in Your son's name Jesus. He is awesomely cool and powerful, and I trust Him with all that I am.

I love you even though there are a lot of things in my life that I don't understand right now.... :-)

Stay fly :-)

Amen.