Have you ever had a really “Off” day? You’re Frustrated, Short Tempered, Agitated, Distracted, and in an overall Foul Mood! You don’t really know why, because nothing new or even major has happened in your life recently.  Yet, you find yourself at dissease, and overreacting to Little Things that would normally roll off your back!

You know it’s not the Big Boulders of Life (a loved one being ill, losing a job, divorce, financial failure, etc), that cause us to stumble.  Yes, the “Big Things” can stop us in our tracks, sucker punch us, or put us down and out for awhile! Rarely though, do the Big Boulders of Life eat away at our Day.   Day, after Day, after Day!  Why?  We know WE can’t do anything about “those” things.   No! . . . the Big set-backs are beyond our power to control, we HAVE to rely on God’s strength to overcome, get back on course, try again, or obtain victory! So, we are much quicker, and more readily able to surrender those “Big Things” at the feet of Jesus!

It’s those darn “Little Things” that make me lose my ever living mind! The toilet over flowing for the umteenth time, being 15 minutes late to your doctor’s appointment and being told after driving 40 minutes that you must reschedule, getting the wrong order at the drive through again, the dog dissecting his squeaky toy all over the floor, or having your  new laptop go on the fritz the day after your warranty is up! THOSE are just a few of the little nuisances that have happened in my life this week (I know you probably have your list too)!  I am a reasonable adult, (OK, most of the time)!!  I know this is Life, and Life happens to all of us everyday!  Then why do I find myself ready to snap like an ice covered twig at the least “Little Thing” that doesn’t go right?!

The problem is this: I HAVE to rely on God to handle the “Big Things”  in my life, because I KNOW they are out of My Power to Control.  However, I find myself constantly trying to handle the “Little Things” in my own strength, as if I could or think I should! (I mean I don’t want to be a wimp God. You just go about solving the Big problems of the Universe, I got this one!)  When I do handle the seemingly Little things of life in my strength, I do Not display the Fruits of His Spirit living in me (Galatians  5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”). Nope!  Not even close!

It reminds me of when I lead my dog Harvey on a walk.  I know he loves to go for a walk, and I love to watch him run, explore, chase butterflies with his tail wagging a mile a minute.  I keep him on a lead when we walk, because he tends to wander into the road, into other people’s yards, and unknowingly get himself into danger. When Harvey follows my lead he can safely run, play, and enjoy our time together!  But . . .when Harvey decides he wants to fight against my lead and go his own way, he experiences resistance, pain, my wrath, and our special time together usually ends up in a tangled mess!  God is a Good Father, and He delights in bringing us Joy!  But . . . when WE choose to walk our own way, make our own choices, take the lead in our life, WE CHOOSE to give up the Promise of experiencing His Fruit (Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, etc.) in our life!  Fortunately, it is not just Harvey and I that struggle with wanting to walk our own way!  The Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  Obviously Paul, like you and I, start off with good intentions, but end up with a tangled mess looking up at God like Harvey does to me asking ourselves, “How did I get in this mess?”!!

What is the Answer?  There are NO Problems, Decisions, Cares, in my life that are Too “Small” to ask God for His Direction!  There are NO Problems, Decisions, Cares, in my life that are “Small” enough for ME to handle on my own!  God tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”  I don’t have to carry around the burden of my list of “Most Important Things To Do Today”.  I don’t have to Try in My Own Strength to get it ALL done!  My role is to Follow His Lead, and Trust Him to complete in me that which He has begun!  I love how the Message version paraphrases Galatians 3:3-6 “Are you going to continue this craziness?  For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.  If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?  Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?  It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!  Answer this question:  Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them IN you?”

Father, forgive me once again for making a tangled mess of my day!  You want so much for me to Trust you in ALL things. . .the stopped up toilets, broken computers, unpaid bills, broken relationships, Joe’s illness, etc.  Nothing is too Big or too Small for You!!  You Want ALL of my Life (the good, the bad, and the ugly)!  I want my Words, my Actions, my Life to bear Your Fruit IN me!  Help me to remember to lay it ALL down at your feet Every day!  Help me to Listen for Your Voice at every turn, and Humbly submit to your Lead.  Thank You for being a God of New Beginnings, Do Overs, Second Chances, and Unconditional Love!