I don’t know about you, but some days hit harder than a jackhammer. Seriously, you cannot make up the things that people are experiencing. To paraphrase Bull Durham, “We’re dealing with a lot of stuff (that’s the Turner Broadcasting version that I grew up with on TV) out here.”
What are we to do with all of this as people of faith? Not being one to stand idly by, I have been in a bit of a fist shaking mode, demanding that God have a bigger response than your average cliché of “everything happens for a reason.” Because, that phrase is garbage. You can enjoy a couple of recent books on why that sentence is a lie. Or save your money and realize that the phrase “everything happens for a reason” never really made anyone feel better. We just have to face it – we are living in strange times and the challenges for people are harder right now than we can remember.
I do not have the quick solve answer to any of this mess. I could quote Scripture and that sometimes makes me feel better. Or I could pray. But frankly, the last thing I want to do is pray. In fact, God and I had a conversation about that very thing last night. I couldn’t pray, so I told God that I was mad because I was so upset that I couldn’t pray. And, then, I realized that was praying too. I didn’t feel much better emotionally, but the next thing I remember is my husband waking me up because I had fallen asleep on our couch while complaining to God. When I think of that image, I know the image of me getting so mad that I fall asleep probably makes God smile. Just like when you see a little kid wear themselves out pitching a fit. Not during the fit, mind you. At that moment, you question your life choices and whether you will get convicted if you end them. But, after, when the storm ends, you smile at the peace that they have.
I hope that is how God sees me while I rant at the world. And, with even that small thought, I feel a little more loved by God today, which some days is enough to get you through the jackhammering of “real” life.
