Stressful Times — a Gift from God?

The baby was crying.

Again…

She was four weeks old, and followed a consistent daily schedule…

1. Eat
2. Cry
3. Sleep
4. Cry
5. Repeat

The doctor said she was “colicky”.  

Her Mom said….actually her Mom didn’t know what to say…

She was sleep deprived…

Thought was difficult and forming a coherent sentence sometimes impossible.

“This will never end. It is so stressful.” she told her own mother.

“I’m a bad Mom. What must God think of me?”

Grandma thought of her own words to her husband earlier that day.

“God must be mad at me.”

“Why?”

“Yesterday I was calm. I trusted Him.  I wasn’t worried.  Today I am totally anxious. God’s still there. I know I shouldn’t worry.  But I do.  My challenges are so stressful.”

“Maybe God will give up on me.”

Her words and her daughter’s words sounded so alike.

She began to pray…

Dear God, let these stressful moments be the very times that draw me closer to You…

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~ Hebrews:4:16

Let me remember You knew our failings and weaknesses, and still came to save us…

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us ~ Romans 5:8

Let me see my weakness as a reason to rush toward You, not away from You…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me ~2 Corinthians 12:9

Thank you God, that before I even started to move toward You, You were rushing toward me…

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

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