Skinny Jeans

There's a silver lining in the clouds.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

There are so many sayings that we use to turn our situation around, aren't there?  If I wasn't more pressed for time, I'd eek out a few more..but the point is, we humans have spent a lot of time developing these "catchy" phrases to perk ourselves up, cheer ourselves out of the dumps, per se.

It's no wonder the self-help section of a store is one of the largest.  Have you perused the aisle lately?  Or, I suppose online the amount of titles are limitless; "Think your way to happiness," "The power of a positive"... (mom/parent/sibling/daughter/son/spouse.)  Truly, you could spend the rest of your life reading the titles and not scratch the depth of material that is available to us.

Why so many titles?  My guess would be that despite the best 5-step program... we try to fix ourselves and it fails.  It can work for awhile..sure.... but then we derail.  I'm not saying there isn't GREAT attributes to thinking positive and pulling up your bootstraps.  I'm just proposing that if that was ALL we needed...well, then we wouldn't have any new books on the shelf and quite frankly, we all wouldn't be so pathetically broken.

You see the answer, I believe, is not only putting ourselves into a seat of accountability to do something about our situation (however slight or enormous the giant you are facing,) but we also have to surrender and let Jesus step in.  Counterproductive advice...isn't it?  You have to do a little on your part but mostly what you have to do is stop struggling/striving/sulking/trying..... and let Jesus intervene.

After all, his Word says that "He works ALL THINGS together for good..." (Romans 8:28)

Yes all.

I was reminded of this last week as our family has come off a very, very intense start to 2012.  Nothing dramatic, just more like a Japanese Bullet Train that has ran out of control.  Fast, hurried; lots of travel for my husband, lots of activities, a family vacation, a wedding, a surgery, 2 birthdays, a broken rib....oh, and life with three active boys under the age of 9.  Yep, we're running pretty fast.

So you can imagine how excited I was to know that on March 13th my husband and I were slowing down to enjoy 6 days on the island of Hawaii...just the two of us.  I botched my hubby's 40th birthday, we moved over our 10th anniversary and well... we desperately needed a fantastic way to pause, recover and rest.  So when they called us on the phone to offer us some killer deal... we snatched it.  For 5 months I have had this week circled in red!!!

And then...the stomach bug.  Not just the "don't feel like myself" version but we're talking the "The UPS truck just ran over me...and then backed up and ran over me again" version.  First it hit my husband.... then we had a day...then it hit me.  Can I tell you I believe the entrance to Hell might look like a man giving out doses of the stomach flu and then telling you, "Oh and don't forget, you'll still have all your responsibilities and your children will be on break from school...and it will be 34 degrees out and raining so you'll need to keep them inside....locked up....with you..... welcome to Hell.  P.S.  Your spouse's flight was cancelled and they are never coming home...welcome again!!!"

Now, as March 11th approached and I was still dieting on the equivalent of a banana and piece of toast I had a choice; lament, pout and take a legal, perhaps slightly illegal dose of Dayquil  OR..... trust God.

I'll tell you what... my stomach isn't in perfect harmony as I count down the 18 hours until I take off for the islands but I will tell you this:

1.  I have a perfect peace that I will be fully recovered by tomorrow morning.
2.  I have all of my energy back....probably because I'm not fretting so much!
3.  I can now fit into my skinny jeans for the first time in 4 years.

He works ALL things together for Good.

So slice the lemon and plunk it in your water.... you don't need another catch phrase.... you just need to sit back and trust your savior.... and then wait, in anticipation for the good He promises to show you!