Comfort

I truly believe that God is big into irony…or maybe it’s just him preparing us for what is coming. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve written and spoke about anxiety and worry. And when I was writing those messages and articles, I hadn’t realized how much anxiety I was going to feel in the following weeks. I could list the trials I’ve faced just this week, but I know you’ve got your own list, too. And that’s where the irony comes in: did I follow my own advice and live out what I wrote and preached?
If I were to grade my choices as things happened this week, I’d say I got a solid ‘B’ on Sunday and Monday, followed by a ‘C’ in the middle of the week and then I felt like I failed miserably Wednesday night and Thursday. I’ll have to let you know how this busy weekend goes. But as I write this, I feel like I’ve been given perspective and reminded of what I need to focus on. Though throughout I did try to connect back to God and pray, it was finally when I made the choice to focus on those important to me that things changed.
Last night especially, when I just wanted to curl up on the couch and watch TV, my middle child comes home and says he needed to dress like a potato for their party at school the next day, it gave me the opportunity to refocus. I told him, ‘Challenge accepted’ and it was on.
I’d like to say I was one of those super dads who slaved for hours over a sewing machine to create this beautiful costume for him, but that’d be a lie. We threw a couple pillows under his shirt, wrapped him in brown paper and cut a few holes for his arms and voila: potato! But it was helping him accomplish something important to him and working together that really made it wonderful.
It took me purposefully changing my perspective to get me more out of my anxiety. I knew I hadn’t focused on the kids enough this week and I knew that I really wanted to, even if my anxiety told me to do something else. And obviously the most important focus is God and his love for us, but sometimes we need something tangible to help us change that perspective, too.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13.11, “Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (ESV) We were made to be the tangible hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. I pray that we can find those who can give us that when we need it and give it to those around us when they do. God bless.