Grumbling

Oh, you can be sure I notice things, alright. I notice the smelly barn clothes laying on the backroom floor. And dirty dishes by the sink, and that the lawn needs to be mowed.  AGAIN. And the list goes on.  I cannot tell a lie: those dishes in the sink annoy me. As do the clothes on the floor. As does the lawn. I sigh too loud and grumble too long.

When it comes to walking with God, there is no such thing as instant maturity. God doesn’t mass produce His saints. He hand tools each one, and it always takes longer than we expected.
Charles Swindoll I hate complaining about stuff that really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. But, I still do it. Could dirty clothes on the floors and cups by the sink be God’s hammer and chisel used to slowly, deliberately scrape away my heart’s hard parts? Opportunities to practice grace? To live it out? It makes sense because He cares infinitely more about a clean heart than a clean house. And when I get to heaven’s gates, it’s the state of my heart that will be under examination, not the state of my house.

When I pick up the laundry and put away the dishes, I can let grace work like a broom and sweep the offence out the back door of my mind. Oh, you can be sure it doesn’t feel good at first. Chiselling hurts and it takes time. But I hear Jesus ask, “Will you let this harden you or help you?” and I am encouraged to trade what feels good in the moment for what moves me towards maturity.

It’s easy to become discouraged, isn’t it? We’re human afterall. Disappointment is an everyday part of life. Some of us have learned to live with it and adapt, while others feel the need to allow their world to be shaken to its core. When the disappointment and discouragement become too much, we sometimes lay down and surrender. It’s simple, and there is little fanfare involved - but we often end up regretting such cowardice. Instead, we must walk on.

Each of us has a purpose, our own path to follow.

You have yours and I have mine. I chose to press on through rough times and hard circumstances until I found a place where I was content in what I do. With that in mind, I’d like to offer you the encouragement you may need to walk on.

You may be down and you may be discouraged, but you were given your gifts, abilities, and desires for a reason, and they are to be used for a specific purpose. Things may not be looking up at this moment, and you may feel as though success and contentment will never be yours, but I ask that you read these words and softly accept them in to your heart.

Poem by Russell Kelfer
You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

Remember you are doing as you should. And if you’ll stay the course and refuse to yield, you will break through, fulfilling the dreams and destinies you’ve desired. With His help, you can overcome these worrisome times. The valley in which you walk may be steep, but press on through to a better tomorrow.

Simply, walk on.

Blessings