It was taking a determined effort to keep my focus. It wasn’t just the little inconveniences that can crop up in a day, like the dryer going out; or the phone ringing off the hook; or the unexpected errand that has to be run that you just know is going to make dinner late. No, it was more than that. Whether it was the conversation overheard in the grocery line, the top news stories on the radio, the parent cursing and screaming at the child in the parking lot, the talk that came home with the kids from school, or scrolling through the cable guide for decent programming, everything seemed to scream that the wickedness all around me wasn’t going away. And today, well, I just felt like I was drowning in it.
I was just plain discouraged. Discouraged over choices a young person was making; it saddens me to see such a hard willfulness in anyone, but especially a young person. Discouraged with how easily people can take advantage of others; there’s just so much taking in this world and not enough giving. Discouraged with how quickly what is right can be replaced with, “what is necessary”; situational ethics are alive and well in this world. Discouraged that fear so often controls the decisions people make. Where is sound reasoning and responsible thinking rather than emotional impulsiveness? And believer, what about living by faith? Can God’s word and His ways be trusted or not?
I was having “an Elijah moment”…exhausted, ready to run and hide, feeling very alone in my desire to keep serving, keep loving, keep trying to make a difference for Christ’s sake. There were thoughts too, of those I knew were struggling, hurting, and facing serious situations. I was helpless and overwhelmed. And then, in came Charlie. Such a humble and pleasant man. No dilly-dallying around, but focused and prepared, his tool box in hand. There was a dryer that needed to be fixed and he was sure he could take care of it in a jiffy. Fixing things was his specialty, and fix it he did! As he was leaving, I don’t even remember what I said exactly, but he took a moment, pulled out a bench and sat down. He shared that he and his wife, a nurse, were headed to Haiti on a medical missions trip the next week. We started to share experiences and past trips we both had taken and what an impact they had made, perhaps in the lives of others, but most assuredly in our own lives! In just a few minutes I was refreshed, refocused, and ready to take on whatever was coming my way next.
God is so good. He loves me so much. Just when I was about to find a juniper tree of my own to crawl under (pity party), he sends Charlie the Appliance Guy by.
Plus, no more screeching dryer! How great is that?
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Having “an Elijah Moment” of your own (I Kings 19:4)? Here are a few biblical principles to debunk your funk.
1. Make sure you get the rest and nourishment you need physically; it might seem impossible given the demands but do what you can, and trust God to give you the strength you need to do what has to be done. (I Kings 19: 4-8)
2. Listen when God speaks, and remember that it may not be in the way you expected. He can meet you where you are and use whatever He chooses (or whomever; is there an appliance man at your door?) to help you refocus and be refreshed. (I Kings 19: 9-18)
3. Turn your attention to others. There may be someone you can encourage, teach, mentor, or simply come alongside of to support. You may not be able to “fix everything”, but they’ll know you care and are willing to help them be all God wants them to be. (I Kings 19: 19-21)
4. Keep praying and praising, not because you feel like it. You may not feel like it, but God wants to hear from you and He deserves your praise. It reaffirms your trust, and honors Him. (Psalms 13)
