Hesitantly Agreed
I have been praying about what I should talk about today, asking God to give me something I should share. This was the topic that kept coming back to mind.
When I first considered agreeing to this topic, I felt like, “God, no. Something else please. This isn’t something I’m very good at.”
Then I felt a gentle whisper over my heart, “Your blog shouldn’t be about sharing what YOU’RE good at, but rather what I’M good at, even when you’re not.”
*Sigh*
Fellow Traveler in Need of God
So, again, I come to you not as some kind of expert on the topic, but as a fellow traveler on this journey called “life” to hopefully encourage BOTH of us to look to where our only true hope comes from—Almighty GOD, through Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us & the Holy Spirit’s comfort, wisdom, guidance, & help.
Living Hard Things with Grace
Living through hard things, with grace. What a difficult thing to consider.
I don’t think any of us enter a hard life circumstance thinking we will struggle quite as much as we will, but hard things are hard & I know I am often surprised by how quickly I want to scream, “Uncle!” & give up.
I can’t even handle small stresses very well, ha.
Setting the Stage
For example, I had been waiting on a package, knowing the sender had accidentally put the wrong box number & having visited the post office several times to try to make sure it was sorted out, being informed each time not to worry because it “will self-correct & everything will be just fine.”
But, knowing intent or even good training cannot prevent mistakes in a monotonous job, I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page & aware, doing my part as best I could without erring on the side of nagging.
Well, all of the reassurance was for nothing because guess what, the package was automatically & immediately returned upon arrival.
Caving in under the Pressure
I was incredulous & was quite ready to slam my hand on the desk & unleash some verbal wrath upon the employees, in a “Are you kidding me? After ALL that reassurance & all my trips here just to make sure & NONE of it made any difference? Are you serious right now?!?”
But I had to take a *very* deep breath, do my best at a gracious reply, & walk out before I lost my resolve.
I then spent the whole drive home (& about 20 minutes in our driveway) rehashing my trouble, concern, efforts, & the inevitable mistake of returning my package anyway, complaining & whining in my head. I basically threw an adult temper tantrum in my car.
Humanity (Including Me) Has Many Weaknesses, but God Offers His Infinite Strength
And when I got tired of my wrath, I took a deep breath, realized how bad & unforgiving my attitude was for something that really wasn’t that big of deal in the big story of life, & I immediately felt some stubborn remorse nagging at my heart, reminding me how NOT well I had handled that situation.
Did I have a right to be frustrated & upset? Yes. Did I have a right to treat them like trash (even if just in my thoughts) because of it? Nope.
I was being self-focused, & I had turned righteous anger into bitterness & a hateful, unforgiving attitude of sin.
Finally Turning it over to God
*sigh* I told you I wasn’t good at this. I can’t even handle someone messing up my MAIL.
So, I hung my head low & cried again, this time for my bad attitude & frustration that I had let take over my afternoon instead of giving it to God.
And I finally gave it to Him.
My Prayer Sounded Something Like This:
“God, I’m sorry. I am so frustrated right now because I was really looking forward to that & now I have to wait for it to return & re-ship & after all my efforts to prevent this & it was all wasted. I just feel so defeated & disappointed & angry. Why couldn’t it have just worked out? I tried! I tried to help fix it. Why did I get my hopes up so high? But I shouldn’t have let my anger take over me like that. I’m sorry for how I reacted in my heart. I shouldn’t have had such a sour & terrible attitude toward them. It was a mistake. It’s a new system & they’re trying to work out the kinks & everyone makes mistakes. Please forgive me for getting so hurtful & angry over something that’s so small overall. Help grow me in it & teach me gratefulness & to trust in You through the messes in life. I don’t like when things don’t work out, but even in them, You have a beautiful plan I can’t always see. Even in holding & comforting me through it, letting me know of Your love on a deeper level through my hurts. Thank You for those moments of the gentle reminders of Your love & care for me & all of us. Help me to forgive. Help me to realize I am often just as in need of Your great grace as anyone else & to thus give grace to others much more willingly & quickly. Help me trust You more than my circumstances working out ideally—especially in this covid world we live in right now. Nothing is normal anymore & it’s hard. It’s an adjustment with hidden culture shocks that pop up unexpectedly because so much of life is no longer normal. Help me to cling to You & trust You & listen to You in humble trusting love. Thank You for hearing me gripe & complain & for Your endless, wonderful graciousness. Thank You for helping me have better, more loving perspective & continue to grow me in that way, having grace in living the hard things. Thank You & AMEN.”
Failing TOWARD Grace
Life & sharing isn’t about always getting it right or always knowing how to handle every situation.
Life’s messy & hard & we’re not meant to be good at any of it on our own. We’re meant to need Jesus’ grace. We’re meant to need Almighty God’s power. We’re meant to need the guidance & comfort & wisdom & strength of the Holy Spirit.
We’re meant to need Him.
We’re Meant to Need Him
So, whatever part of your life feels messy or hard or makes you want to yell & cry in your car for 30 minutes, call out to God. Pour out all your heartache to Him & ask for His help. He’s listening & waiting to help because He loves us that much.
Shine Hope by admitting your need for Him & calling out to Him through every struggle & trial of life.
He’s got you.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
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A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for TWO years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Turning Leaf Set
This silver finish hammered metal necklace with matching earrings was inspired by the beautiful shapes of leaves. (And also resembles dragonfly wings!)
Artisan Information:
The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!
Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!
How You Can Help:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
