Sunday Night Rambling.....

My best friend of all time (whom shall remain nameless to protect innocent bloggers) made comments recently about “issues”. Everyone has issues, I don’t care who you are; you have issues about something. But I think sometimes we feel that we shouldn’t have issues. We get bogged down in the thought that we are so blessed with: ________, we shouldn’t ever be sad, angry, or upset. Fill in the blank with whatever your blessings include: husband, kids, family, friends, religion, food, job, etc….The list can go on forever. I think many people feel this way, me included. Why should we burden others with our insignificant troubles when there is so much to be thankful for? When the Lord has blessed us with so much, what right do we have to complain about anything? There are many problems with this thinking including:

• Just because we are blessed doesn’t mean that the bad stuff stops happening. There is opposition in all things for a reason.

• Why should we think that because we get one blessing the Lord will stop offering us others? Unfortunately, some of those blessings are a direct result of sad or upsetting things. Learning from our trials and the trials of those around us is a great blessing.

• Recognizing the worth of our blessings usually comes at the end of the pride cycle that is human nature. We don’t become humble until after the trials. That humility brings us to a remembrance of our God and His goodness. Why do we think that we could recognize the goodness of our life with out the bad? Again, there is opposition in all things for a reason.

• The Lord knew that we couldn’t handle everything on our own. There wasn’t just one person made in the Garden of Eden but two. He knew that sometimes the burden would get tough and we would need help. Not all of us are blessed with a spouse that can support us in our trials but God blesses us with friends and family that we can turn to. How can we learn from others and serve them if they won’t share their burdens. How can we continue to progress if we do not let others do the same for us in return?

I don’t want to justify complaining against God for our troubles and trials. But I do think that all too often women of faith feel as if they have no right to be upset. They think that because they are so blessed they should be happy all of the time. Well, show me a woman who is happy and perky 100% of the time and I will show you her bathroom cabinet filled with prescriptions for Prozac and the like.

Conversely, we aren’t supposed to wallow in self pity or grief 100% of the time either. Our emotions run the gamut for a reason. God wouldn’t have given us the ability to feel all of these things without a purpose. We are to use them for the betterment of ourselves. We are to recognize the sad and the bad and find ways to make it better. Sometimes we can do that on our own, sometimes we need to lean on a friend, and sometimes we need a professional. As long as we keep finding ways to fix the upsetting things our life will continue to get better.

Just in case you were wondering……I have issues….welcome to the club! ;)