For those of you paying attention, Mud Hen Mama is back up and running! We are so thankful! Changing the kind of hosting platform we have will help in the future for any schools that may want to have a bookfair open for longer than a week (although the main website will remain unchanged for anyone who just wants to order some books!). But the change over was a little painful. Mostly because it wasn’t exactly expected.
That’s life
Isn’t that life? Expecting the unexpected should be our mantra. As Believers, we can rest in the fact that the LORD is sovereign. Even when we feel everything is out of control, we know Who rules and we know we can always trust Him. But still, it’s hard. Especially in the moment.
Having our website unexpectedly out of commission for around a week is one thing. But I was recently reminded of how so many Believers have had a lot more heavy things to have to live through unexpectedly.
Jordan Peterson podcast
My husband passed on a podcast for me to listen to by Jordan Peterson. Although Peterson is not a Believer, he is an incredible thinker. And besides, he was interviewing Eric Metaxas, who is one of my favorite writers (and podcasters). During their interview, Peterson and Metaxas were discussing, among other things, how being unthankful will make you miserable in life. Whether you externally have a lot or a little, when someone is not thankful, they are wretched.
Peterson then brought up Job. He pointed out that Job never cursed God. If anyone had a reason to curse God, it would be him. He was a good man who loved and served the LORD. But out of nowhere, the LORD allowed everything to be taken from him. He suffered tremendously. However, Metaxas was able to tease out that because Job knew God, Job essentially knew he could trust Him. And although he suffered, Job knew Who his Good Redeemer was (Job 19:25). He could wrestle through that unexpected, difficult situation without cursing God, hanging on for dear life to the good character of his God.
Remember the God we serve
Recalling Who God is during the times of blessing help us through the tough times when we feel as if God is nowhere to be seen. Life can throw us some serious, unexpected curve balls. Clearly a website that’s down is not that big of a deal. But whether it’s something as small as that or something as serious as a deadly medical diagnosis or losing a loved one, we know we can still have peace and choose to be thankful.
My first Christian concert
Shortly after my husband and I became Believers, I remember going to a Jeremy Camp concert. Since I hadn’t really grown up in the Christian Church, I had no idea who this guy was. At one point in the concert, he started talking about his first wife. She was beautiful and loved the LORD. But she had stomach cancer. They dated, and she seemed to get better. So they decided to get married. Practically right after they’re wedding date, her health took a sharp turn for the worse and she died.
I remember sitting in my seat with my mouth hanging open and tears in my eyes. How could he stand there and tell us such a personal story without anger and with so much hope? And then, he said something that literally blew my mind. He told us all how he praised God in that hospital room where his sweet wife had just passed away.
Incredible. Such faith. I had never heard anything like it before. It was beautiful.
The best, but most misquoted verse
I think what it comes down to is Phillipians 4:13 (the most misquoted verse of the Bible 😉) It was never meant as a pithy statement of encouragement. Rather, when reading it in context, it is a sober reminder that no matter if you find yourself in hard times or in times of ease, we can trust in the goodness of God. And we can choose to be thankful. We can keep moving with Christ, one step at a time.
He truly is good, no matter the situation.
There are so many incredible stories that exemplify this. Of course, I love hearing about the life of one of the fastest men on a track field, Eric Liddell. Or Nabeel Qureshi, a young man who was on fire for the LORD. Or for a contemporary example, Brother Yun’s testimony is unbelievable.
LORD, help us all to trust you more. Keep Your Words in our hearts and minds (Psalm 119:11), and help us to remember them when we feel hopeless or anxious (Phil 4:6-7).
