I Will Help You

I am on my way to work on a Monday morning.  It's raining just enough to be a nuisance and I come up to a slow down on the highway where we are bumper to bumper crawling along at 20 miles an hour.  And I hear myself say "I'm so tired."

But, wait, is that right?  No, I'm not physically tired for I just had 8 good hours of sleep and a pretty quiet weekend.  What I really am is mentally tired.  Between regular worries such paying the bills and such, I am worried about the declining health of a family member, and also there is always my "To Do" list which seems to grow more each time I cross something off. I find myself thinking "God just take me from this, let me spend my days praying and worshiping you and not dealing with this day in day out stuff of my life."

Why does God have us here?  Why can life at times seem so hard?  Why? Why? Why?

I've joked many times with friends about my list I have to ask God about when I reach heaven - war, terrorism, famine, and such.  But I also have on this list -  why in the world would he let me wear hip hugging bell bottoms in the 70's - I look back at the pictures and shriek - then again God made the Ostrich so I know he have a sense of humor; and is there really aliens from outer space here on earth - I think I may have been watching too much "Ancient Aliens" on the History Channel.

So many questions, so little answers.  But, perhaps that is just the point.  Nothing builds faith more than adversity - we always grow closer to the Father in the valleys of our lives than on the mountain tops.  It is just like seeing a beautiful sunrise after days of rain and grey skies -- I know we will all marvel at the light of Christ.

When we experience difficulties within our lives, we have a choice -- will we turn to God or away from him.  Choosing Christ will not magically make all our troubles disappear, but what it does do, is gives us someone who will walk this path beside us; it gives us hope and it gives us peace.  Have you ever experiences someone who seems to be able to handle everything life has thrown at them?  They are sometimes referred to as a "rock" or "someone who can take everything in stride."  I bet if you could take a good deep look into their life, you would find that they are very grounded with Christ at it's center.  This grounding gives them a peace that no matter what comes at them - the Lord is there by their side.

Choosing Christ allows us to build our faith and our trust in the Lord.  With each little struggle we entrust to the Father we receive graces which helps strengthen us to work through our problems.  At times we may just need to quiet the world - the grace of peace can do this and will allow us to think through our problems.  I at times begin to fill overwhelmed with some problems and will pray for God to grant me the Grace of Clarity.  I will soon find I am able to beak down the problem into bit size pieces which are no longer so massive that I cannot see the end of the tunnel.  Now, would I get to that point without the Lord's help?  Maybe - but I do not believe that I would have the same peace as I do when the Father is at my side.

God is always there for us - we just need to ask.

For I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you."   Isaiah 41:13