Even Then

Have you ever had the kind of day where everything happens to work out like clockwork when you thought it was going to be an epic disaster? And you’re so proud of all that you accomplished and kind of marvel in the way it all intricately worked out- until you find that it actually didn’t?

Monday was one of those days for me.

-Woke up early and did my Bible time. Hallelujah!
-Went downstairs and found the dogs had pooped in several places, which was really special. No, I mean it. Sloppy poop is “special”. Cleaned that up with a mostly good attitude. Thank you, devotion time.
-Had a physical therapy appointment at 7am, and although it wasn’t easy, it went well.
-Came home and cleaned myself up and put real clothes on.
-Started my first day at a new job (which so far I am loving!! Thank You, Lord!).
-Came home and discovered the place we were going to get food from to welcome Tina home was not open. Shift in high gear to plan B. Coordinate like crazy.
-Sia suggested we get the dining room painted as a surprise for Tina, so with four hours left until her plane landed, I change my clothes, and we started taping off, etc.
-Kat doesn’t eat outside food, so I pulled a beef roast from the freezer and threw it in the Instant Pot for her.
-Finished painting, cleaned up, and got the room back together in two and a half hours. (And it looks good, thankyouverymuch.)
-Changed my clothes back, and went with Sia to pick up the food that wasn’t so close to home.
-Stopped at the store to grab Sia a pizza and find reusable masks for her.
-Got home with enough time to pull the roast from the Instant Pot and set it up for Kat.
[Feeling pretty good at the moment! Things are working out so well!! Go me! Oh, and thanks, God!]
-Secured the purchased food, locked the dogs out of the kitchen.
-Collected Jimmy, ran back to the car, and headed out.
-Forgot the signs we made to welcome Tina, and promptly backed up the street to the house to get them.
-Drove to the airport to meet Tina. Arrived at the same time as Sonja. Walked into the airport together.
-Tina arrived, we hugged and laughed and celebrated, then headed home.
-Arrived to see the beef roast plate empty. Awesome! Kat must have really liked it, and taken the rest upstairs to her room.

Score!

This is where things started to fall apart. I was so excited that everything had worked out, despite a few unexpected but easily remedied mishaps, that I was willing to ignore the suspicions in my gut when I saw the smear of sauce on the counter, and the bit of beef at the edge of the stove, and the sticky feeling under my feet on the tiles. Kat is never that messy.

And then I noticed the dog food bowls were still full, when they usually eat up their food pretty quickly. The sinking feeling that the dogs somehow got into the kitchen and ate the entire beef roast, leaving Kat nothing for dinner began to grow in my gut and chest like heartburn.

So in the middle of setting up our celebratory food, I texted Kat and ask if she liked the roast.

She didn’t eat any yet, she said.

Unspoken suspicions confirmed. I glared at the dogs, and in my mind promptly shot them both in the head. At close range. (Is that wrong?)

Now I was going to have to cook something else for Kat. Ugh. After the long and almost perfect day I’ve had, this has ruined it. These dogs who ALREADY greeted me with poop in the house have now eaten a roast not meant for them, left a mess behind, and caused even more work for me!!! How DARE they?!?

Has that ever happened to you? Maybe not the exact same circumstances, maybe not all in one day, but in life in general. You’re going along just fine, the Lord is working things out for you in ways you didn’t expect, He’s answering prayers and providing needs, and giving you blessings along the way, you’re praising Him and loving doing it all, and then- BAM! Something happens to interrupt your bliss.

Maybe it’s someone else’s poop you have to clean up. Maybe you forgot something and had to go back home to get it. Maybe someone ate your roast and left a mess behind. Maybe someone caused more work for you on an already pretty full day.

However you fill in those frustrating blanks, don’t let them derail you. Don’t focus on the negative. Don’t let the trials sent your way make you forget that there is a God in heaven, and that He is good. There was a lot to praise God for listed above. And even things to praise Him for that I didn’t originally list.

Such as: the dogs didn’t poop on the carpet. The gas tank didn’t need filled before going to pick up the food. The dogs didn’t knock the plate off the counter and break it into a million tiny pieces. The food Kat wanted the second time around was super easy to make and was done in ten minutes. I had time with sweet friends and my family welcoming my daughter back home after a long absence. I didn’t have dishes to wash after we ate.

Sometimes we resent trials. We don’t think anything should happen to cause us inconvenience. We gave our lives to Jesus- doesn’t that engage some sort of force field to keep us trouble-free? No. Indeed it does not. And if someone told you it does, they were sorely misinformed.

We do ourselves and others a huge disservice when we pretend like our lives as Christ followers are, or ought to be, trouble-free. Jesus never promised that. In fact, He promised quite the opposite.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Is Jesus your peace, regardless of what’s happening around you? I highly recommend looking up the Greek word for peace in this verse. It is so much more than what we define as peace. If you want a good study on it, I can send you one.

Does a little conflict or trial ruin your entire day? Your week? Your month? Or even your year? [Did you catch the reference?] Can you be of good cheer knowing that Jesus has overcome the world even if your day doesn’t go as planned?

I’m not trying to minimize struggle. Things are hard. Life is hard. It is easy to become overwhelmed. But Jesus is always faithful, unchanging, PRESENT.

And I have more tough, but good, news for you. Those mishaps and frustrations you are facing in your everyday life aren’t even fiery trials. That’s a whole ‘nother category. How can that be good news? You’ll see…

1 Peter 4:12-16
(12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:(13) rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.(14) If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.(15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.(16) Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Kind of a tall order, right? I have convinced myself that when things get worse, and Christians are openly and harshly persecuted in America, I will stand strong.

That’s pretty hard to believe when just my dog’s shenanigans almost make me lose my testimony.

We sing songs at church asking God to show us His glory, or saying we want to be tried by fire- but do we really know what that means? Fiery does not equal pleasant. Fiery means literal ignition, smelting, conflagration. That’s not cotton candy and rainbows. That hot and painful stuff.

I can’t ask God to show me His glory if I’m not willing to walk through the trial that brings it. These verses say we are to rejoice in these fiery trials because through them His glory is revealed, which should make us exceedingly joyful! In verse 14, the word happy means SUPREMELY BLESSED, FORTUNATE, WELL OFF. When was the last time you equated a fiery trial with being supremely blessed or well off? Don’t we usually assume it’s happening because we’re being punished, or God has forgotten us?

Shame on me.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, look at these verses in Romans.

Romans 8:16-18(16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:(17) And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.(18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Whoa.

If we want to be glorified with Christ, we have to suffer with Him. Period. And the suffering I experience in my life is NOT WORTHY to be compared to the glory that this suffering is going to reveal, not TO me, but IN me- because it reveals Jesus.

Can that help you clean up the poop and praise Jesus just a little?

I need to work on glorifying God regardless of what I am experiencing. He is always worthy of honor and praise, and a life that reflects His glory. Even when the dog poops in the house. Even when my day doesn’t go as I so carefully planned. Even if you get a fly in your mouth from your iced coffee.

Even when I face a truly fiery trial.

God, I praise you today because You are worthy. Thank you for the trials that shape my character. Thank you for the opportunity to bless Your name in the midst of frustration. Thank You that You care about what I’m going through- even the poop. Thank You that Your grace never fails, and Your presence never leaves. Help me to remember that You are always good, and help my mind not to dwell on the negative. Fill my mind and heart with good things from Your Word, so it overflows naturally when I face struggles. Help my perspective on fiery trials turn to joy in You because You are my peace, and Your Spirit of glory rests on me during them!