I am kinda in a spot right now where I am the frustrated patron and the vending machine (my life) is not going according to plan. I did what I was supposed to do. I put in my money. I pushed the button. But there are my cheese doodles hanging there in front of me as if to say, "Sometimes you don't get what you think you have coming to you. Sometimes you have to wait." Sometimes ministry can be a whole bunch of bags of cheese doodles stuck in a vending machine.
It started when I put God in a box. I really did. I thought God would work in the way my mind had all planned out. I thought I knew what was coming. I knew it would be difficult, but I knew I had God on my side and so anything was possible. But, when anything showed up outside my box I got a little disoriented. I sat staring at my stuck cheese doodles.
So what do you do? Well, the way I see it there are two options. Option number one is to kick, push, shove, and rattle the machine until you get what you paid for. I know there have been times when I have taken this option in ministry. I have forced things to go my way. I have shaken, banged on, and rammed into things until I got what I wanted. Ya know that pit in your stomach that kinda burns and churns when you try to force results out of a person or situation? That's how I know what I am doing is not Gods best. When my personal alarm goes off i have to stop and reconsider.
When I was a little girl this was one of my greatest faults. My little sister Patti can tell you ALL about it. I took it on as my personal duty to make her behave. I knew what was right and was bent on making her comply. When I took on that role I took something away from my sister. I took away the opportunity for her to learn, at her own pace and in her own time, what was right...whether or not "right" was in agreement with my own opinions is to be written some other day.... She is a very grace filled little sister and we are great friends in our adult lives.
Option number two is a bit more difficult. Its taping a note to the vending machine for the technician to let him know what you feel you are due and hoping he comes to my desk with my cheese doodles at a later date. And then WALKING AWAY from the vending machine. In our spiritual lives this is prayer. We have the privilege of instant communication with the living God. We can submit our thoughts and petitions to the ruler of the world and have faith that He hears us and loves us. And then, we walk away. Not as if to say, I no longer care, but instead we hand over the burden to God and say, I trust you to take care of this.
When we are no longer in "charge" of the difficult situation we can have a new found freedom. Its no longer our problem. Much like when your husband walks in the door from being gone for the day and you peel off the toddler from your right leg who has been attached there all afternoon yelling "take me for another ride mommy!!". You've had all you can take, its no longer your turn to literally carry this burden. And so, you lovingly hand over the child who smells of paste, play dough, and peanut butter to their father because daddy is ready to take care of things. And your become lighter. Your mood changes, you have hope that you can face the day because you have someone to go to and say "I've had enough, please take this."
So, when life brings you situations that are outside of your box, hand them to God and ask for wisdom. Don't be the one who is found growling and body slamming the vending machine. Just tape a note on it and let the great technician up in the sky handle it. After all, you really don't want to have to explain to people that you dislocated your shoulder wrestling a vending machine over a bag of cheese doodles? Right?!
No comments:
Post a Comment