When LIFE is hard --

Lamentations 3. 28-29 says:

"When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself.  Enter the silence.  Bow in prayer.  Don't ask Questions. Wait for HOPE to appear."

LIfe gets heavy.  As my Pastor says we are  either coming out of a season or going into a season of something.  The 'little' time in between can be a brief respite of bliss -- or it just is a time where we can catch out breath.

I get that.

Whenever,  I think my life is REALLY hard...God shows me another person who 'has it worse'.  However,  when I thought my life was at its WORST -----guess what, it got even worse.

And when God gives me a reminder to put things in perspective - I am always humbled.

Sometimes, well most times, when we pray over something or someone -- the enemy comes back at us with vengeance and the situation gets worse!!

The next line in God's Word says to go off by yourself.

I LOVE being in my car listening to Christian radio and I get lost there.  Many times when I was in a season of 'muck'...I would just drive and get away -- and listen to music and pray and speak to God.

I thank God that in that time of my life - my kids were self-sufficient!

Getting away by myself can also be retreating to my bedroom, watching an old 'classic' and just cry and let the tears wash away some of the hard.

Then ENTER the silence -- that means LISTEN for God to speak.  He is constantly speaking to us - but we are mostly always too busy to hear and so - we miss it - until HE finally gets our attention.

Bow in prayer.  I get by myself and I just talk back and forth with God the FAther.  Sometimes it is very formal and most times it is just a conversation.

More recently, I have been challenged  to make my prayers - BIG....working on that!  Practicing - it really means to just broaden our view.

Don't ask Questions -- THAT is my hardest  -- I mean, God created me to analyze and ask questions...I usually don't DO something at work or at my house -- unless there is a reason to do it......get me?

How do I not ask Questions?  I ask God a lot of questions -- but, I don't expect answers --

Wait for HOPE to appear.  Waiting sucks.  Waiting sucks.  Waiting sucks.  I said it over and over - God's timing  ---WHY does it seem that GOD is so sssslllllllooooowwwww -- but I have blogged about this before - I get that now - HIS timing is best.

HE really knows best -- and waiting is WHAT we need to be able to do.

But waiting sucks and it is hard.  That is why it is a breath of fresh air --- to get into HIS Word --and look for answers, listen for Him calling out his guidance and extending His comfort.  But we have to wait --

My dear friend says, "it won't be much longer...but it will still take a little more time"....she repeats herself often -- wise woman.


Lord, help me to go off -- help me to not analyze and judge.  Lord, for the one reading this -- may she  or even he get the courage or guidance to  do this -- to ENTER into this Word from You and allow it to change them.....

In Jesus name - amen.