"Are we there yet?"
That's the wail of every child stuck in the back seat on a long drive.
Our grown-up laments over the course of this past year often carried that same whiny tone and for the same reason. This "trip" feels endless and the "scenery" isn't that interesting.
If this were a game we could howl "They keep changing the rules!"
Trouble is, it wasn't--and isn't--a game. This is real life and real people. Real pain. Real loss.
And still, we're trapped in this "thing" that just keeps rolling along for what seems like forever.
One fact stands firm
Whatever is--or isn't--going on, this day is the only day you and I have to live in. This moment. This second.
The past is behind us and can't be replayed. The future, as always, remains unknown until we are living it. Today is all we have.
Some of us are muddling through a really hard time. For others it's disturbing that life feels so beyond our control. Some endured so much pain and so many losses we want to give up. Life is just too hard.
Yet in the middle of all this we still have choices.
Shall we curl up in a corner of the room and cry? Or wallow in the muck of what's wrong and scream out our rage? Lots of us just grit our teeth and put up with whatever comes.
The better choice is to take stock of what we have left and rejoice that we have come this far.
You and I are still here, but not because we're smarter than everyone else. We are alive and breathing, by the goodness of God. In any and every situation, that alone should cause us to rejoice and be thankful.
Discover meaning in the mess
Here's what I've found. When I'm feeling dry and dusty, it's useless to try and dredge up joy from inside. Faking it sounds, well, fakey.
Someone we used to know loved to say, "You gotta put the good stuff in if you wanna get the good stuff out."
There's no better "good stuff" than what we find in the Bible. The truths it contains are as essential to our souls and our spirits as pure water is to our bodies.
That's because no matter how shaky life may feel to us, the truth of the Bible stands strong and constant. That's why people all over the world make time to read and study these timeless words.
Don't look for the "right way" to do it. Just figure out what works for you. Some people wake up before their families because they like the quiet time and no interruptions. Others prefer to close their days with time in the Bible. Choose print or read the Word on a screen. Or download one of the many available Bible apps so you always have it with you.
The power is not in the how and when and where we read the Bible. The power is in how the Holy Spirit works through these truths and changes us from the inside out.
Store up the "Good Stuff"
Think of it as something like a bank account. Depositing Bible truths and promises in our minds gives us something to draw out when we're feeling overwhelmed.
It's easy to underline verses that speak to our hearts and then to mull them over later. The blank pages at the back of the Bible prove a handy place to jot down notes so you can find favorite verses easily.
Then when we run dry we can easily go back to those marked verses. Here are some of mine, all NIV.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me ... Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:1, 27
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us ... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 5:8; 8:1-2
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 34:4
The Bible revives our tired hearts
Verses like these reset our internal guidance systems and wash away our anxieties. They refresh our hearts, like a splash of cool water on a hot day.
Life is a journey, they say, and we get bored. We get weary. When we lose our way, we know where to turn for guidance.
And when we know where we're going and who is watching over us, keeping us safe, we can get through this "road trip" with joy.
Still growing,
Lenore
