Michael and I were visiting last night, summing up our days, talking over situations. We began to discuss "hard things" that we were dealing with right now, and realized there were five. Five. We remembered having three or four at a time, but not five hard things. Interesting.
As we talked more, we realized these five things were not "manageable things". They were not things we could change, or affect, or fix. They were totally out of our control. Again, interesting.
Later, I thought about my usual method of problem-solving. It involves moving things around a bit, making them seem to fit better, or make more sense. (Hence the picture of the abacus.) If I can move the blue bead and two red beads over the green beads.....and so on.....it seems better. It seems different and new and there are more possibilities. I don't feel so hemmed in.
Michael preached on Psalm 118 Sunday at our church. I loved verse 5:
"From my distress I called upon the Lord
The Lord heard me and set me in a large place."
I didn't understand the analogy at first. But, as Michael described it, it became really clear. The psalmist was in a "tight place", a place with no options, and he cried out for help. God answered his prayer, and put him in a "large place". Can't you sense his relief?
So, I joyfully wait upon the Lord with my five hard things. My prayer is that God will put me in a "large place" and remove me from these tight places. I keep resisting the urge to move things around a bit and give myself the illusion of space. He alone is my Shield, my Defender, my Protector, my Strong Tower, my Salvation. He alone can set me in a "large place".
I trust Him with my five hard things.
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