Some Lessons Are Harder To Teach Than Others

I wish I could say every time I teach my youth group at Zoar on Wednesday or Sunday nights that I am a good model of what is being taught. I wish I could say, "Hey, here is how I personally am doing this particular lesson." Tomorrow is one of those lessons where I am struggle to embrace the truth in what I'm teaching...

It's not because I do not believe it. It's simply...difficult. One aspect of tomorrow's lesson comes from a verse in Philippians which says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Ph. 4:6) What jumps out to me about this passage is that Paul is not telling the people to ignore their problems (he tells them to present their REQUESTS to God), he just asks them to balance it with THANKSGIVING. When we only focus on our problems, we have a perspective problem. When we think about our problems and our problems alone, we forget all we have to be thankful for. We have just as much (and much more!) to be thankful for as we do to complain about. (Hopefully not too many of the youth are reading this before the lesson!!! I think I'm safe on that!!!)

I have much to be thankful for...I didn't have to worry about whether or not I'd have clean water today...or a roof over my head...or about where my next meal will come from...the list goes on and on and on and on!!! Yet, I admit, I have a perspective problem. I get so frustrated because of the suffering and pain my beautiful wife Jamee has to endure and face every single day.

My wife deals with several chronic things such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia, celiac, and other things as well. I honestly do not know how she goes to work day in and day out. You would have to be in her shoes I suppose to understand what she feels. I get so upset/frustrated/pissed off/angry/bitter/etc... because there (on the surface) seems to be no pain management available to help her feel better. This is a "request" I come to God with so frequently that sometimes, I feel like a broken record that needs to be unplugged and silenced. It's very difficult watching the woman I love with all my heart and soul hurt so much and knowing there's nothing I can do to physically take away the pain. I think it's possibly more difficult to watch your loved ones suffer than it is to experience suffering yourself.

She's so strong...she doesn't ask for sympathy or pity (and I am not looking for that by posting this)...she deals with it the best she can and STILL finds time to be an amazing mother and wife.

My point...I know focusing only on our problems is a failure to recognize all we have to be thankful for...I am simply admitting I have a perspective problem...when the problem is staring you in the face saying, "Hey! I'm still here! I'm not going away buddy!" It's hard to block it out... I believe in my heart that we will find some answers for Jamee in the pain management department...there has to be some doctor in this world that we haven't rubbed shoulders with yet that will provide some comfort/answers...I believe it, I do. I long for it to come so that Jamee will not have to feel so much pain...

This lesson on perspective...I am not going to lie...will be difficult for me to teach...because I feel so inadequate to teach it...but I am thankful that I have the opportunity to think through it, wrestle with it, and hopefully come to better terms with balancing "requests" and "thanksgiving" to my amazing God.

FYI...my wife has amazing perspective...check out how she uses her difficult circumstances to encourage other women...I have much to learn from her...click on the following link and be amazed (ILUM :P)
A NEW KIND OF NORMAL