When Life Sucks Part??

 Sometimes we wait for the end. At the end we will see how God gets the glory. At the end we will celebrate. At the END we will tell a testimony. At the end we will smile. AT THE END we will share the things that helped us get through. Sometimes this is the way to go. Sometimes this is the best time to share.

 But sometimes people need to hear from us now. Sometimes people need to hear how God is on the move in the midst. Believe it or not, God can get the glory during a situation. As I have come to a place of "you can have the glory now." I can't see how many people I am able to help. But God sees. He is the God who sees us in the midst. 

Yes, it can be difficult to share when we don't know how it will all unfold. When life sucks, sometimes we don’t want to talk! There is no guarantee in God that circumstances will not disappoint us. But even in the midst of disappointment and pain, God can receive glory.  Maybe we don’t share all that’s going on, but as people observe that life sucks for us, we can give God glory. Martha said to Jesus in the midst of her situation, “even now”. Even now Jesus could do. (John 11:22) Even now in the midst, Jesus can do in your situation, so even now He is worthy of praise and glory.  Bloom beyond your grey situation. Your bright bloom may be the hope someone else needs to keep on going. 

There Are 5 Things That Have Helped Me Tremendously While Waiting on Jesus When Life Sucks

1. Don’t tell everyone the gore of what’s going on. Sometimes a lot of people knowing the pain of your situation causes you to focus on the pain and not the path.

2. Tell someone! Most likely the weight is too heavy to carry on your own. Pick someone(s) who won’t be triggered by your despair, but will hug you in the midst, and pray for you. 

3. Realize you don’t need anyone to validate the pain of your situation. Is it hurting you? Then it hurts! Beware of people who seek to invalidate your experience. They are not your helpers on this journey. At the same time beware of seeking out certain people to confirm and affirm your pain. Sometimes your search for them is fueled by the belief that they will solve the problem. 

4. Yell at Jesus! Make sure you vent about how you feel about your situation. Mary may not have been yelling, she may have been as gentle as a lamb, but she let Jesus hear her heart. “If you had been here….” (John11:32) So have your Jesus if you had intervened moments. These moments often occur in my car. I explain how the status quo is unacceptable and that I expect intervention, immediately! My entire circumstance hasn’t changed, but I do see Jesus at work after these moments. He deserves glory for them, because I know how through with it all I get. Yet He enters in. And in case you didn’t know, Jesus can handle your anger. (That’s a whole different blog about how His humanity allows Him to sympathize with our afflictions.)

5.  Be quiet. There comes a point where you have to be quiet in the midst of the pain in order to know what to do. If you balanced 1-4, you should feel heard, validated, and seen. Now you can be empowered and directed. Now you can hear Jesus weep about your situation. Now you can receive comfort from God. Now you can develop a nevertheless your will be done resolve. In quiet, and by quiet I mean a stillness of sorts. When the directions come, this is a glorious moment. The situation isn’t over, but you know Jesus is on the scene. And when Jesus shows up, even if it seems late and your situation stinks with death (John 11:39), there’s reason to praise. 

You get the glory from this. Even while life sucks you get the glory God.