Stretched to Dependency
Sometimes we see it coming … the stretch zone. We put the brakes on, no way, no how, I am NOT doing “THAT”…fly across the world and help people who have no water…You don’t possibly think I can be a friend to that person … we have NOTHING in common…we do not have what it takes to bring someone in need into our home.
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears. Psalm 18:6
Sometimes we have no warning … we are thrown directly into a situation stretching us so near the point of popping. A move to a new town, the loss of a child, divorce, saying yes to a service project and not knowing really what it would have in store for us … or our heart.
As we follow Christ, we will be stretched. We see it over and over again in His Word and in faithful folks we are doing life with right now. Life will happen and some days it will tend to pull us more than we think is possible. Whether we see it coming or not, God does. And He is ready to support us through it as only He can.
- Remember to breath. When we are stretched to our limits physically, emotionally or spiritually … take a moment and breath. Often times in situations when we don’t have control, we hold our breath. We might need to literally breathe in, “I need You, Lord” and breath out “Thank you for being with me.” A simple stop for breath allows us to rest, remember and refocus on WHO is in control. God is in control and He’s got us…He’s got you.
- Depend on Him. God is not in shock when we are in a season of living in a snow globe constantly being shaken up. He placed every part of each of our stories together and knows how each will end … for good and for His glory. Do not lose sight of who our God is … the Author and Perfecter of our lives, our Provider, our Comfort, our Shepherd. Depend on Him with all you have. He can handle it.
- Look to others. God loves community. It is encompassed in the very being of who God is…the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Going at it alone is never what God intended. He is ready to help and He provides people in life to support us. Allow others to come alongside you as you are in a season of being stretched. They are one more way to depend on Him.
In a season of being stretched, it can be a rich time for deeper relationships … who better to have a better relationship with than Jesus … breathe deeply, depend on Him and others and you will find that the tough time of being stretched is always worth it. Always.
Camper Corner:
Some days are hard. Some YEARS are hard. What would you say is the hardest time you have ever been through? What helped you?
Read Psalm 18 … David had just been running from his enemy, Saul, and was pretty pumped about how the Lord had saved him. Write down a few ways God protected David. Keep those close to you, because David’s God is your God and He will do the same for you!
