Silver Linings

Sometimes, life is simple.  And somewhat easy.

Like when your kids are small and homebound.  Before life includes carpool and afternoon practices.  When most of your time is spent sitting on the floor with a little one and your day is planned around afternoon naps.  You may be tired because sleep is a tad erratic, but life is simple.  And somewhat easy.

But sometimes life is complicated.  And full of struggle.

Like when long-awaited-for plans fall through, leaving you heavy-hearted.  When re-learning how to make all new friends in a new city leaves you feeling vulnerable and lonely.  When your day is so filled with important and necessary tasks that wonderful things get left behind or over-looked.  You look forward to the joy and rest of Christ in Heaven, knowing that life here is complicated.  And full of struggle.

Loving and following King Jesus is not the equivalent of spreading a layer of sugary, candy-studded icing on top of a constantly shifting and changing life and proclaiming it “fine and dandy.”  That’s what Heaven is for…Heaven will be the culmination of fine and dandy.

Rather, loving and following King Jesus is what gives me the freedom to grieve for injustice, rejoice in success, hate sin, confess weakness…knowing and believing all the while that He is taking me somewhere through all of it.  Taking me closer to Him.

I don’t think that I am required to emotionally love the difficult seasons the way that I am able to emotionally love the simple and easy ones…that would be shallow and dishonest.  But I, with my whole heart, desire to love Jesus through the complicated days.

Praise Jesus in the simple and easy.  Praise Jesus in the complicated and struggle.

“Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.”

What season of life are you in right now? 

Photo credits: here, here

Lauren Souers

Hi, my name is Lauren. I am the wife of one fine man and the momma of four (huge) young children – three boys and one princess! I love all of them. I mostly clean up messes and feed people all day, and it’s really fun to write about it. Jesus is the rock of my family – we love and serve a mighty King! I hope you leave here full of hope that “tired” can be good.