This quote is a good witness for us, as the Prophet Habakkuk expressed much dismay and gratefully was later able to rejoice in the Lord. Putting this in modern terms – though my Mother has Alzheimer’s disease; though my child has a serious handicap; though my husband has cancer; though my dog had a seizure; though my weariness is beyond explanation, yet I ‘try’ to rejoice in God.
The circumstances of our lives can often be overwhelming and most times we focus on all in our estimation that is wrong. Even Jesus was weary. In Mark 8:12, Jesus ‘sighed’ from the depth of His Spirit. Webster’s Dictionary says, to sigh is to take a deep, audible breath (as in weariness or grief.) Who of us hasn’t sighed or been weary at some point in our caretaking?
An elderly friend told me what made her smile and rejoice was being able to get out of bed each morning without assistance. She has many aches and pains, but has a positive outlook. Do we make a conscious choice to turn from grace and get trapped into thinking and acting negatively or is it more likely we let our focus fade and stop trusting the Lord, because we are fighting exhaustion? If this fits you, please give yourself some slack.
Being a caretaker it’s quite normal to see the negative and as we lean on God’s sure and constant love, we are guided through times of pain and heartache. Hope is the way God encourages us. Can we try to foster a positive outlook on things, not denying problems, but allowing a positive dimension to flow throughout? We find God in all things, dealing with the bad and the good and hopefully we will continue to rejoice in our God.
We are not alone, we can rejoice in the Lord, even if it is for the few minutes we try to refocus on our yes to God’s grace. May we pray for the breath of the Spirit to infuse us and give us renewed energy and a positive outlook each day.
What are you dismayed at? Can you discover a way to rejoice in the Lord anyway?