He Is FOR Me

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?          Romans 8:31-32

There's a storm brewing around me.  Literally.  I'm sitting here in Florida in the middle of Tropical Storm Nicole.  

I'm not sure how long it's been raining.  It was raining when I woke up.  It was pouring when I finally gave up and took the dog out.  Now I can't seem to escape that damp feeling.

The wind has actually been blowing for a couple of days. Every now and then, there's a gust that shakes the house.  When the direction of the wind changes, there's a little whistle or groan, where, I suppose, the house is not entirely airtight.  I can hear and feel the bikes rattle and shake on the rack where we secured them.

Right outside my window, there's a squirrel sitting on the little nub where a tree limb used to be.  The wind is blowing.  The rain is falling.  He's just sitting there getting wet and windblown.  (Of course, the moment I went to take a picture of him, he moved.)

So frankly, as the storm is raging around me, a storm is raging within me as well.  That's pretty much my "default," if I'm honest.  There is a constant collection of ideas, issues, concerns, feelings, and dreams that swirl around within me, much like a hurricane or tropical storm.  While I long to be like the little squirrel - oblivious to the winds and rain - I feel more like a child's toy boat set afloat on ocean waves. (This analogy seems to be a constant in my life, hence the title of my book, Safely into the Harbor...)

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Now here I am, the day after the storm, trying to regain some bit of focus and finish what I've begun.  Therein is the heart of my struggle.  I have so many ideas, yet I feel that I accomplish so little.  I am highly distractable, often preoccupied, and generally just mentally and emotionally weary.  When I sit down to write - which is the thing I feel most called to do - words evade me.  It is a frustrating and discouraging circumstance.  

And so that is what I find myself writing about.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday from a speaker who I find very relatable.  She often addresses the very struggles that I find myself dealing with. Unfortunately, she comes at it from a very different worldview.  I find myself thinking how great it would be if she came to Christ and added a biblical context to her platform...  

Because I know that true transformation comes from God alone.

Still, as she spoke to the topic of holding onto and pursuing dreams, and as she commented on how we tend to be our own worst enemies, her words struck a chord with me.  And I was reminded of Romans 8:31.

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And now, here I am - same story, new year.

I logged in to create a new post, but I paused to see the last post I’d left unfinished.  The sentiment continues, so I thought I’d just start today’s writing by finishing last year’s…

I was talking with a young man at work this week about how, until my current job, I’ve always felt I was my own worst critic.  In my current position, however, there seem to be an abundance of critics, one of whom has taken over the job of being my worst critic.  It’s weird and frustrating and incredibly discouraging from day to day.  I’ve written more than one resignation letter already, and the day is soon coming when I may actually send one of them through, lol.  As a lifelong overachiever, it’s really strange to be in a position where even basic success seems so elusive.

But my God is for me! 

Why does it matter so much to me that someone else seems to be against me? And why am I so often against myself?  Do I honestly think that I or anyone else has an opinion of me that matters more than that of my Creator?

So, as I begin this new week - already the second week in a new year - I'm setting this simple goal of keeping Romans 8:31 in the forefront of my mind.  

Criticism will most definitely be a part of this week.  Some of it is already coming from within myself this morning, as I am thinking about all the things I could and should be doing.  More will come in the hours I will go to my job this week - that's a certainty. 

And so, as I face the inevitable, I want to remember the unchangeable.  My God is for me.  And if my God is for me, no one - not even me - can stop Him. He gave up His Son for me!  He's already done the big thing.  It's time I got better at trusting Him in the little things!

Though it took me months to articulate it, today's thought is a simple one.  God is for us. He is for you.  He is for me. If we can come to understand this simple fact, facing the challenges of life might just feel a little less daunting.

...Just a thought...