When Humbling Myself is the Last Thing I Want to Do

I was dealing with a complicated situation that led to my feelings being very hurt. It didn’t seem so trivial that I could just forgive and forget and it didn't make sense to let them off when they knew what they did was wrong and they didn’t even apologize. I know that it’s up to me to forgive them anyway because I know the saying well “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die.”

I get amused at how God shows up and speaks to me. My son and I were talking and I was bemoaning my “relationship situation”. I was hoping he would take pity on me and agree that the other person was callous with their actions. But, do you know what that man (my son) said to me – that man that I raised to be a kind, forgiving and loving man said to me? “Mom, read the Prayer of Humility and St. Francis' prayer “Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” How dare he? How dare my children put into action what I taught them?

I knew God was speaking to me through those words and I tackled praying about how to make the wrong right and I soon received the answer I needed. I typed a long email to this person. With elaborate detail and CAPITAL letters, I punctuated all their wrongs. I signed it, "With love".....AND never sent it. It felt good to get it all off my chest. In a matter of days, simple and casual text messaging between the two of us ensued and a sweet apology came with asking for forgiveness.

I had been given words from my son, straight from Heaven Central, and those words, taken to heart, altered the course of what could have been an extended time of estrangement. I took a step back from all the emotion and frustration to sit quietly with Jesus and He untangled the mess for me. Here are some things that happen while sitting quietly with Jesus: We humble ourselves because of He Who is perfect and is perfectly in love with us, despite how many times we have failed Him. In the heat of a mess, the last thing I want to do is get humble. But, I’ve learned I have to step out of the battle and humbly ask God to speak truth to my heart for things to start to make sense. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

We can pour our anxious hearts out to Jesus who loves us right where we are, how we are. And because His love comes without judgment, we can feel safe enough to humbly admit we need Jesus to work on us and then truth is revealed. The truth is: We have an enemy, and it’s not each other. Satan’s influence on us and the person offending us is the real culprit. I can’t realize this in the heat of the moment. But in the quiet, I become alert and can gain a strategy for acting in a more self-controlled manner. I can rest assured God will use my conflicts for good. God has a way of making us stronger and more tolerant in our relationships when we humble ourselves enough to receive from Him in the quiet what He wants to teach us through it all.

That Precious Rocking Chair of Peace

I no longer have a rocking chair because its usefulness was over, but it meant the world to me at one time. Oh, the joy I experienced in that rocker. I sat and rocked in it and sang sweet love songs to each of my babies. I’d kiss their soft cheeks and take deep breaths as I smelled that heaven-scent aroma on them. I’d pray for their little lives to be filled with the love and grace of God. They’d drift off to sleep as I cuddled them so close – and often, I’d fall asleep, too. It was almost a holy, sacred place of complete peace and serenity.

I’ve also ridded myself of the not-so-precious "worry" rocking chair. In the words of the great philosopher, Erma Bombeck ;-) .“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” From firsthand experience, I can tell you that statement is true. I've done my share of worrying, and it has NEVER gotten me anywhere! I realized that it is a time waster, energy sucker, stomach nauseater, and a depression maker -- not to mention, that I disappointed God when I was a "Worry Wart". Worry Wart: someone who worries too much. Worst of all, being a worrier is admitting that we’re not trusting God to take care of the situations in our lives.

God knows that one of the greatest "joy stealers" in our lives is worry. That's why He reminds us not to worry and to trust Him completely. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR LIFE." That doesn’t sound like a suggestion, but a commandment from God.

Sometimes….as stalwart as we may be in professing to have great faith, and trusting in God implicitly, we are still vulnerable to the lies of the enemy. But thanks be to God, like rebooting a computer, we can do a “reboot” on our minds and remember what we know to be true. "Cast the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:6, 7). I love that image! I know what it is to CAST for fish and reel that bait back in. In that scripture, it means CASTING the cares -- all of them -- on Him....and NOT reeling them back in. We CAST them to Him....and let go of them.

I'm learning my lessons well. When worry starts knocking on my door.....I do my best to quickly put mind on HIM who is my worry-bearer. "Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me" (Isaiah 26:3). I quickly go get in my precious "peace" rocking chair and I cast the cares, the worries and pressures to Him -- after all HE is the Prince of Peace so why should I worry or fret? And why should YOU worry or fret? What rocking chair are you rocking in today? A chair of peace and serenity or the chair of worry – that gets you nowhere. I’m choosing the peace chair! How about you?

Worry is Like a Rocking Chair

I can’t remember when I last had those “knots-in-the-stomach” feelings. Those almost paralyzing feelings. Those, “What if?” feelings. But they hit me last week. I’d pray and quote scriptures and I’d rehearse those times when Jesus schooled his followers about fear and worry, “Oh you of little faith,” and “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” and “Don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow takes care of itself.” and “Woman, you have great faith.” I heard what He said, but somehow that “worry bug” was having a hay day inside my tummy. How well I know better.

In the words of the great philosopher, Erma Bombeck ;-) ...“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” From firsthand experience, I can tell you that statement is true. I've done my share of worrying.....and it has NEVER gotten me anywhere! I realized that it is a time waster, energy sucker, stomach nauseater, and a depression maker -- not to mention, that I disappointed God when I was a "Worry Wart". The Merriam Webster says a worry wart is someone who worries too much or who worries about things that are not important. But more than anything, it's admitting that I'm not trusting God to take care of the situations in my life.

Sometimes….as stalwart as I profess to be in my faith and trusting in God implicitly, I’m still vulnerable to the lies of the enemy. But thanks be to God, like rebooting a computer that is on the fritz or a cell phone that is on the fritz, I do a “refresh” and a “reboot” on my mental page and remember what I know to be true. "Cast the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:6, 7) I love that image! I've been doing a lot of CASTING for fish with my grandsons, but we keep reeling the bait back in. But in that scripture, it means CASTING the cares -- all of them -- on Him....and NOT reeling them back in. We CAST them to Him....and let go of them.

I'm learning my lessons well. When worry starts knocking on my door.....I MUST quickly put my heart and mind on HIM who is my worry-bearer. "Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me" (Isaiah 26:3) I quickly go to His sweet place of peace and ease and comfort when I cast the cares, the worries and pressures to Him -- after all HE is the Prince of Peace so why should I worry or fret? And why should YOU worry or fret? He's sending a little love note to us right now: "My child, you worry too much! Remember? I've got this! Love, Your Dad (God)"

Worry is Like a Rocking Chair

In the words of the great philosopher, Erma Bombeck ...“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” From first hand experience, I can tell you that statement is true. I've done my share of worrying.....and it never got me anywhere! I realized that it is a time waster, energy sucker, stomach nauseater, and a depression maker -- not to mention, that I disappointed God when I was a "Worry Wart" (Merriam Webster says that's a person who worries too much or who worries about things that are not important). But more than anything, it's admitting that I'm not trusting God to take care of the situations in my life.

"Cast the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:6,7) I love that image! I've been doing a lot of CASTING for fish with my grandsons, but we keep reeling the bait back in. But in that scripture, it means CASTING the cares -- all of them -- on Him....and NOT reeling them back in. We CAST them to Him....and let go of them.

Now that I've learned my lessons well, when a worry starts knocking on my door.....I quickly put my heart and mind on HIM who is my worry-bearer. "Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me" (Isaiah 26:3) I quickly go to His sweet place of peace and ease and comfort when I cast the cares, the worries and pressures to Him -- after all HE is the Prince of Peace so why should I worry or fret? And why should YOU worry or fret? He's sending a little love note to us right now: "My child, you worry too much! Remember? I've got this! Love, Your Dad (God)"