“Yuck! This is such a mess. Cleaning up sheetrock dust is like herding cats. Every time I sweep, half the dust jumps into the air, another quarter stays on the floor or in the broom while only a quarter actually gets into the dustpan. No matter how many times I sweep, there is still dust. My eyes are scratchy and my chest aches in spite of the mask. I’ll never get this mess fully cleaned up. Grumble, grumble.”
Or
“Yuck, this is a mess. But I’m so glad I have sheetrock dust to clean up because that means the sheetrock is up and textured and we are a huge step closer to finishing our little house. This is a long-awaited milestone. We have some hurdles yet to clear, but we’re making progress every day. Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord.”
I have a choice every hour of how I’m going to respond to what’s happening. I can be negative often with good reason. Or I can be positive often by faith, not by sight. The kitchen cabinets are going to be a week late? My first reaction is, “What? Doesn’t the cabinetmaker know he’s doomed me to an extra week in this confining RV?! I have concrete countertops to make and the mess should be done before the wood floors are down. This blows our whole schedule.” But Husband is calm and assures me that he can work around the delay, getting other jobs done while we wait.
I take a deep breath. “OK, Lord. You’re in charge and you love me. Somehow You care about the minutia of my life while keeping the galaxies spinning. I choose to trust You. I choose to let go of my anger and believe that You have a purpose and a good plan for me. I know this is less than tiny in the big scheme of things like people suffering war and children going hungry. There’s something I can learn from this experience and I don’t want to blow it with a bad attitude. How should I use this week of waiting?”
I love that old song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. It says that His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. Turns out the lyrics are from Scripture.
Nothing is too small to talk to God about. We have an unlimited God. He is never overwhelmed with our myriad small things, nor is he irritated that we keep bothering him. In fact, he invites us to come to him for everything all day long. He isn’t a three-wishes-and-you’re done genie. He isn’t like a genie at all. He doesn’t do our bidding, he does his perfect will and invites us to join him. He’s in charge and we get to cooperate or not. But he’s a gentle, patient, listening Father who delights in providing for his children…providing the very best, not simply our short-sighted requests (including cabinets on time).
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16