“When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God in later days and obey Him. He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.” Deuteronomy 4:30-31 Holman CSB
You have heard the old saying, “When God closes one door, He opens another.” To that someone has added, “Yes, but while you are waiting for Him to open that door, it can be hell in the hallway.” Sometimes the traffic jams, and sometimes the plumbing backs up just before company arrives. A former Senior Warden of mine was once experiencing one minor irritation after another until he finally exclaimed, “Lord, I can handle the elephants, but these &$#@% mosquitoes are killing me.” We all seem to be overrun by mosquitoes, don’t we?
It’s an interesting paradox that we humans seem to have no trouble running to God when major catastrophes strike or when our world seems to be falling apart. But when we find ourselves overtaken by the minor frustrations of life, we either rationalize that our problems are too small for God to deal with or minimize God’s desire and ability to care for us in all areas of our life. “Lord, I know you parted the Red Sea and delivered the Children of Israel from the hands of Pharaoh, but You’ve never dealt with the IRS.” In these times, we must catch ourselves, take a deep breath, and purposefully lift our thoughts upward.
Although we are here on earth struggling to rise above the distractions and “mosquitoes” of the day, we need never struggle alone. Just as a child with a skinned knee longs for their parent’s gentle touch and soothing words, so we need to know that God is always here, eternally and faithfully, with infinite patience and love, to care for our “skinned knees” and shoo away the mosquitoes. If we reach out to Him, He will restore perspective and peace to our souls.
Whether you find yourself enduring difficult circumstances or just covered over with mosquitoes, remember that God loves you and wants only the best for you. You are, after all, His child! If you become discouraged with the direction of your life or just of your day, take a moment and lift your thoughts and prayers to Him. He will not only guide you through the difficulties, He will carry you beyond them. And if a door in your life is closed and you are waiting for God to open another, remember the words of Pastor Bill Hybels, “Whatever hallway you are in—no matter how long, how dark, or how scary—God is right there with you.”
Prayer: Lord, in my heart I know You can handle anything that happens in my life. Put my mind in sync with my heart that I may always be able to look to you as the source of my strength and joy, in both good times and bad. Amen.
Fr. Steve+
