Here in Florida, we often deal with wildfires. It gets very dry here, and then lightening will strike and start a fire, or somebody flicking a cigarette butt will start a fire, or not putting out a campfire immediately will spread. Before anyone knows what's happening, entire acres of land have been swallowed up. Neighborhoods get evacuated, people get injured, property gets destroyed. Firefighters really struggle to get the wildfires under control, because they "jump", and appear seemingly out of nowhere. As one area is getting saturated with water, another fire will spring up somewhere else.
That is very much how my life has been so far this year ... I can't seem to beat down all of the fires. They are springing up out of nowhere before I can get one taken care of. And when I do finally get one done, I turn around to face four more. It doesn't seem fair. But we all know that life is NOT fair. I am so overwhelmed by life right now, I don't feel like I can get a firm footing, and I don't feel like we are ever going to catch a break.
So far this year, we've faced the deaths of several friends' parents, my father being hospitalized and almost losing him, major behavior issues with the children, adjusting to new jobs - and the demanding schedules that induces, and I've had some minor annoying health problems. Please, we just need a break! We just need a week to get our head above water!!
Just when I start to throw a temper tantrum and start shaking my fist and yelling at the world ... I am reminded that it doesn't matter how big all of my problems are, because God is still bigger. God is bigger than all of the issues we're facing ... and He will have a good outcome for all of it. What a relief that is! It took me a long time to understand the whole, "He uses it for His glory" thing. But after walking through wildfires before and seeing what I've been able to do since then - like being able to talk with moms of autistic children - I know now more than ever that when we have a plateful, God will use us to help feed others.
So, today? I'm thankful for wildfires. Because when excess brush is burned away, room is made for new growth to shoot up.
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