Hope for Helplessness

One of the worst feelings in the world is helplessness. I had that feeling today. I had a big dilemma and was at a loss on what to do. At first I told myself not to panic, that the situation might not be as bad as it seemed. Have you done this? Tried to keep the problem from ballooning in your head and taking up the space for rational thought?

I finally got to the place where I could pray, "God, show us what to do." In those moments I wish the answer came right away, but it doesn't always. Sometimes it does, but often God allows the fog of our emotions to clear first. When we have calmed, solutions come like  suggesting whispers.

God does not always speak the solution outright. No, He allows our minds to be a part of the process. We try this or that to see if it will work. All the while God is guiding us to the right answer.

 The scenic route to His answer may seem like a waste of time unless you remember God wastes nothing. Have you ever been searching for something only to find something else you had been looking for? In the same way, we discover something about God and how He works when we find ourselves in a helpless position. If you are like me, you just want to solve the problem already, but God's ways are higher. His agenda is always a good one, and He calmly operates it in the midst of our frantic helplessness. Did you catch that? God is not wringing His hands while we wring ours. This should bring us confidence even if our frantic heartbeat hasn't caught on yet. If you are a child of God, helplessness is an emotion, not a fact.

Warm your heart by the fire of this truth:

 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; ... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Psalm 46:1

I still have not arrived at a solution yet, but God has been faithful to comfort and assure me that He knew this big thing would happen before I did, that He loves me, and that He'll fix this. He took me down memory lane of other times He fixed my biggies. He caused me to happen upon a friend who shared how God has done amazing fixes in her life, and I was encouraged. God is up to more than solving our problems. He's befriending our hearts toward Him on the vehicle of our troubles. It's a beautiful trip even if it's sometimes a bumpy one.