I don't Like "All Things"

Yesterday morning, I was puttering around doing my caregiver tasks. For some reason, the last couple of weeks have been particularly hard for me emotionally. I fight off thoughts about what my son might have done if the wreck hadn't happened. Would he be playing drums for a famous band? Who would he have married? Would he have married at all? What would his children be like? What would he look like and act like as a dad? I try to brush them aside, but the barrage continues. 

As usual, I start thinking of scriptures to encourage myself, and I heard myself think, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I thought about it for a little bit. Then, I decided that maybe I don't want to do all things. Maybe doing all things isn't what it was cracked up to be. Does it mean I have to do "all things?" While I am thankful that I am able to be my son's caregiver, sometimes I sure do wish life had taken a few different turns.

I'm sure Paul did, too, as he sat in a prison cell with hardened criminals and penned, I can do all things through Christ to the Philippian church. He actually spends the two previous verses explaining that he'd seen good days and bad, had plenty and lack, and been hungry and well-fed, so he was ready to just trust God no matter what.  Sometimes perspective is a huge encourager and a reminder that it could be worse on many levels.

So, I turned my thoughts to just trusting God today. Life may not have played out like I wanted or planned for it to, but every day is a good day to trust Him. No matter what. The "all things" are nonnegotiable that life throws at us, whether we are expecting them or not. They are those phone calls in the night that a loved one fell or passed. They are watching the slow decline of a spouse or parent who is gradually slipping away. They may be holding our child while they are in extreme pain or confusion. I don't like those kinds of "all things," do you? 

But I know that no matter what a day tosses our way, God is with us in our "all things." He never tosses any prayers back to us. He doesn't tell us that a situation is too sticky for Him to walk through with us. He reminds us to bring all our cares, even the ones washed in tears, to Him. We don't have to dress anything up - just come just as we are to Him. And He will meet us there and empower us for all things.

Today, I will remind myself that God is right here in my "all things." He has not abandoned me or even looked the other way. I'm not told to refrain from expressing my pain, hurt, feelings, or emotions. God takes it all and sits in my "all things" with me and waits for me to be ready to allow Him to carry me. Today, I will rest in His heart and let Him carry me and my all things as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                           

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