The Struggle is Part of the Story

Joshua 1:9 says ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.’

Do not be discouraged. I have to remind myself of that a lot. I get frustrated, stressed, tired, and discouraged. What parent doesn’t? Other than taking care of ourselves, we also have the responsibilities of our kids.

Just daily we have soooooo much to do.

The laundry, making meals, constant housework, helping with homework, wiping hineys, noses and mouths, teaching manners, life lessons and the alphabet; keeping up with the demands of our careers. I’ve always tried to make a routine out of all of the chaotic stuff I have to do so then everything just kind of flows together. But there’s still those days where I’m like ‘Dang, really? What else?’

I was talking to a friend the other day and it was in the evening, the end of both our work days. She had just finished a doozie of a day. She listed the absolute bad luck things that had happened to her; bad news at work, getting a phone call about an overcharge on her cell bill, end-of-day grocery trip (we all hate those), getting pulled over on the way home and then walking into a frigid house with no heater. Just a bad day and a lot on her plate.

Then she said, ‘But I know it’ll all be ok and it’ll all work out.’

Dang. If all this had just happened to me, I’d be curled up in fetal position under my favorite blanket like a cocoon just pretending the world wasn’t out there. Sometimes just hearing others and their positive outlook on something absolutely bad, is just the slap in the face that we need for a reminder.

Do not be discouraged. Be strong…he will be with you where ever you go.

My third son is the toughest kid I know. He’s four years younger than his second oldest brother, 5.5 years younger than the first. But he thinks he belongs with them doing whatever they’re doing. I’ve seen him playing tackle football in the yard, grab a hold of a shirt and not let go until that kid goes does, usually after being dragged a good while. I’ve seen a soccer ball hit him square in the face only to watch him grimace, turn red and keep on running for the ball. He’s hiked over three miles in the Oklahoma mountains not whining a single time, and even running ahead to get in front of his brothers. Once I made the mistake and asked, ‘Rhett are you ok?’

Yes Ma’am! he yelled back at me, obviously angry that I’d even ask him without asking his brothers too.

If they’re not around, I get the question, ‘When are my brudders gonna be home?’

I just sit back sometimes and watch him in awe. I wish I had his confidence and determination. I wish I knew exactly what I wanted without any fear or question. The other night he didn’t like what I had fixed for dinner. So after several chances to eat and a warning, he was sent to bed. I went to say goodnight and told him if he ate his dinner the next night then he could stay up later with us. He said, ‘ok, but what are you fixing for dinner tomorrow?’ 
My boy knows what he wants and isn’t afraid. He also knows he is absolutely loved by his Momma and Daddo.

The Lord God will be with you where ever you go.

If we could leave our worries with God and trust Him just like my four year old trusts us, then imagine the possibilities in our life? Imagine how strong and confident we could be? No person or situation could tackle you or keep you out of the game. Our struggles are part of our lives. Hopefully they will only make us stronger.

I know real life is different than my four year old’s daily responsibilities. But just think if we parents could trust in God to get us through just like our kids trust in us.

Fearless and unstoppable is what we’d be. Just like Rhett.