It's not all sunshine

Sometimes it's hard to be positive all the time. Sometimes we have down weeks. It happens. Whether it's an uncomfortable situation, the feeling of loneliness, a desire for something to be different....just the wishing, wanting, we grow weary of being strong in our own strength. Following God's dreams are not easy. His dreams are counter culture, counter easy life, counter what we would call normal. His dreams are involved, are out of comfort zones, are about really caring about people, about investing in others and not in yourself... It's hard. It's not easy and it requires a lot of strengh and time and really dying to one's own desires and living for God's desires. Our desires fight hard though. They pull us and they say do what you want to do....it's so easy to slip into their call. Feel sorry for yourself...you know you want to....why do you have to travel the hard road and not the easier one on the other side of the fence...it's greener there you know....

It's such a battle we face between sinful desires and God's desires for our life. You think you have it all figured out and then something else hits you and you realize, oh man, how do I deal with this now too....it's hard.

Sometimes we feel all alone in our struggles...but it isn't so.

The Lord appeared in the past saying "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful.
~Jeremiah 31:3-4~

Now there's a promise. This was God speaking to the nation of Israel, but can it not be true for us as well? When we start to focus on ourselves we lose sight of God's will for us. Focusing back on God, asking His forgiveness and help to get us back on track....and He says that one day we will again "go out to dance with the joyful". What a promise.
I could probably pick apart that verse more, as it has so many great things that could be pointed out...today I think though, I just needed the reminder that "God loves us with an everlasting love" and that HE continues to build us up and we will dance again...  :)  ...our strength and endurance comes from Him and Him alone. When we go it alone, we get weary...when we go with God our strength is renewed...our energy comes back and we remember why we are doing what we are doing. Loving people, loving them to show God's love to them. That's why we do what we do. That is our purpose....to Love, and especially those that don't yet know that God loves them. I read a sign the other day that said "Your life might be the only Bible some people read". How true and how humbling.

I don't know if that makes sense to you today....but always a blessing to open my Bible and have a verse jump out at exactly the right moment. Thank you for that blessing today Jesus.
Thanks for reading.