The God Of All Comfort

As I sat drafting this post, I started thinking that I’ve been kind of cranky lately.  Why?  I actually can’t pinpoint it.  I’m at a point in my life where I’m doing so many things that I love, such as writing, helping at church, and getting ready for a couple foster-kid camps that will be starting up soon.  And, we have vacation coming up in a few weeks!

So what’s the deal?

After sitting and reflecting on that question for a bit, I think the answer boils down to:  I’ve just been thinking too much.

No – that’s not a blonde joke.

I’ve been thinking about stuff that I shouldn’t be thinking about.  I’m thinking about our son who is drawing farther and farther away from us – and the Lord.  I’m thinking about how sick I am of how so many people think God’s Word is no longer relevant.  I’m tired of media bashing.  And I’m certainly tired of reading of the British monarchy – who was going to wear what to the wedding, where the couple is now going to live, and how their children will relate to one another.

I’m tired of not being able to keep my home office window open because the foul language out on the golf course is getting worse and worse.  We even had neighbors who moved to another neighborhood not too long ago – one of the reasons being that the mom didn’t want her kids being exposed to that language while they were playing outside.

I’m tired of movies and TV shows which show parents as being stupid; and I’m tired of how sexual innuendo seems to have become the norm.

Are you tired of listening to me rant yet?  I am!

A verse that seems to pop up often when I’m in one of these cranky moods is Philippians 4:8 (NLT):

And now brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Notice how it doesn’t say to fix our minds on all the negative stuff, but instead to fix our minds on the good.  But that’s hard sometimes, isn’t it?

Yet thankfully our God and Father constantly sends us reminders of how we’re not alone in struggling with our minds and thoughts.

The key is remembering that this earth is not our home!

I’ve been doing a Bible study on the book of Romans.  My lesson the other day talked about how all of creation is groaning in anticipation of the day when we will be redeemed (Romans 8:18-39).  On this earth – in our frail earthly bodies – we’re going to be subjected to unpleasantness of some sort or the other.  None of us are exempt.  But on that day of full redemption we will finally be free from days of crankiness forever!

Until that day, remember that when we lean upon our Father, He’ll help us – He’ll give us peace when we need it.  But our hope and eyes must stay fixed on Him – and not other stuff.  Here’s how Isaiah 26:3 reads in the Amplified Bible:

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

Our loving Father knows us inside and out.  He knows our frailties, yet promises to guard us and give us peace when we’re committed to Him.  I love my Heavenly Father.  Because of this I know that even when I have days of crankiness, when I turn it over to Him and do my best to stay focused on the Prince of Peace, He will help get my mind where it needs to be.  He can (and will) do the same for you as you place your trust in Him.

Rejoice – someday we’ll not have to deal with all this chaos!