Lost Keys

My mind raced as I scrambled around the house. Where could they possibly be? It was Friday, 2:45 to be exact, and I was once again trying to hurriedly make it from one job to another. It had been a bad week, in fact probably one of the worst I've had in awhile. As I dragged my tired body home from my first job on Friday, all I could think of doing was grabbing a quick shower and bite to eat, then making a large cup of coffee and begging God to get me through another shift of work. God decided to do more than just get me through a shift of work, He decided to teach me something. It's 2:50, and I should have left for work five minutes ago. God why today? Why now, why is this happening on a day when I feel like I'm barely making it by? I had lost my car keys, not just my main set but my spare as well. My frustration was only weakened by my tiredness. All I wanted to do was yell, to cry out with all the frustration I had and throw my hands up in defeat. It may sound simple, but sometimes its the simplest of situations in life that can seem to completely deck us. On Friday it was a lost set of keys. Finally, my mom gives me her keys and tells me to take her car. It's 3:00, the time I was supposed to be clocking in. I grab the keys and make a dash for the car. As I drive for work my mind struggles to deal with all the emotions, the anger, the frustration, the mere weariness I'm feeling. I finally just cry out to God, I give this situation to You. I give You these emotions, these trials and most of all, the weakness I feel. It was then that God spoke: This was a test, a test to see if you would give me the frustration that was building up in your life. A test to see if you would let me be in control of the situations that are out of control. I should probably clarify that when God told me it was a test, I didn't feel angry about being tested. By the grace of God, I have learned in my short life, that it's the situations where God tests you that you truly grow and mature in your relationship with Him. (Sometimes I forget this but thankfully this wasn't one of those times). I actually almost started laughing, my relief in not being alone in my struggle was that huge. There is a special kind of comfort in knowing that God is right there, walking with us step by step. That He is willing to take the time to help us grow and mature in Him. It was amazing, I had such an awesome time of prayer with God, just talking with Him about the things that were going on in my life. I've rarely felt God as closely as I did on my drive to work. Sometimes its the lost keys in life that make the biggest impact on us. The only question is whether take advantage of those opportunities.

Cliff Jumping

How do we view a relationship with the living God? It's hard to even wrap our minds around. Some times this God can feel so close that our comfy little worlds feel a little claustrophobic by his awesomeness. Other times we cry out in desperation searching for this being who has promised to stay by our side through everything. And we feel like we are met with the loneliest of silence. So how do we know this God, this Jehovah, who says he so desperately wants to know us? It's an answer that isn't going to simply be told in a blog. It's an answer that I believe can only come from diving deeply into an adventure called faith. It's like standing on a cliff over the ocean, you look down at the glistening water, wild and beautiful. That water promises the unknown, but the heat from the cliff is demanding a decision, to jump or to stand suffering, but safe, on the edge of the cliff.  So you must make a decision, do you jump in, risking the fall, but counting on the promise of cool water, or do you remain where you are, in pain but safe? A relationship with God is something like that. Sometimes I seem to smack the water as I land, and I wonder; should I have really jumped? Is it worth the temporary stinging of my sinfulness with His Holiness? Lately I seem to be smacking the water a lot. I keep trying to get to know this awesome Being that created me, but the more I get to know Him the more I realize how messed up I am. I see all the pain that I have smashed up inside of me and I wonder if I can ever find true relief. It's in these moments that God seems to be calling, telling me that relief is coming, to hold on. It's in these moments that I began to sink into his grace, completely out of control, and exactly where I need to be. We can only truly relate to this amazing God when we take that jump, that leap, that lunge into the unknown. Throwing away any thoughts of fear and security and saying "If you don't save me God, than nothing will".

My Challenge to You:
Find that area of your life that your still holding onto. That cliff that you just haven't been able to jump off of yet. Make the decision to jump, to find out what God can really do. You may feel pain, the free fall may scare you to death, but in the end you may just discover what God's grace and love can really do.

Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
C.S. Lewis