08 Dec Juggling & Lugging, Apples and Oranges
I love to read. I especially love to discover hidden truths, when I’ve spent the majority of my life believing something else.
For instance, did you know that apples have more potassium than bananas?
Or that strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges?
Or how about, “God WILL give you way more than you can handle”
Wait…wait…what?!?!
Yep, my perception of absolutes have steered my beliefs for a long time, but God is turning my world upside down. I’m finally learning to embrace it. What began as a journey back to health, is now spilling over into other areas of my life! The idea that “God only gives us what we can handle”, might roll off the tongue, but it’s simply not true. He undoubtedly guarantees to give us an escape route from our temptations, but He actually only promises to help us carry the weight of our other burdens. If He gave us “only what we could handle”, then why-in-the-world would we ever need to ask Him for help?!
“The idea that ‘God only gives us what we can handle’, might roll off the tongue, but it’s simply not true.”
Joel and I have entered into an exceptionally busy season, you might even call it a season of harvest. I don’t say that to boast. We are just finally seeing God work out, what we have been sowing for a while now. We were going through our calendars this weekend, and it was very overwhelming! He has 3 business trips this month, including meetings in Vegas, Hamptons, and DC. I have been asked to share our story at an upcoming Women’s retreat and I’m attending the Orange conference in Atlanta at the end of the month. All of these plans are sandwiched around moving into our new warehouse space, the kids doing SAT testing, Easter service at our thriving church-plant, and Joel being due for another blood draw. My first instinct was to start deleting my items off the calendar. I even tried to talk my way out of the conferences and shuffle dates on the calendar to spread things out more. (I’ve always prided myself on living a life with margin, knowing when to say ‘no’, and not feeling guilty about it.) I told a sweet friend, “I don’t know how we are going to pull all of this off!”
And then it hit me. We aren’t supposed to! God orchestrated all of these events in His perfect time and He’s the one who is going to have to pull it off. All. Of. It. We are simply along for the ride. I’m really taking comfort in the fact that He can do anything and everything. Since this is way more than we can handle, God is going to have to seriously work out the details! So, I’m resting in the promise that He’s got this, because I certainly DON’T. I’m savoring my quiet time in the midst of the chaos. He’s sustaining my mental, spiritual, & physical health. The best part of all of this?!?! HE gets ALL the credit, too. And, for this controlling, planning, type-A, mostly introverted girl, that is a completely different way of thinking.
What season are you in and how is God stretching you beyond what you could possibly carry? You aren’t alone. Let Him carry it! He wants to show off, but you have to let Him.
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