Blessed to be Broken

I’m not sure what made me want to look behind the photo in the frame, but I did. I’ve walked past this picture what seems like a bazillion times. As I opened the back of the frame, I wasn’t sure if I’d find more pictures or not.

Since I typically put multiple pictures in frames, I wasn’t surprised to find another pic. I stared at the image with nostalgia. As I went to place the photo down, I realized there was another one stuck to it.

I carefully peeled it off and there it was, a pic of me and my boy in Valdez, AK. I smiled with tears in my eyes.

One of the lines from the song sung by Frank Sinatra’s, “My Way”, says “Regrets I’ve had a few.”

Boy, ain’t that the truth. Back in the day I woulda stared at those pics and had me a giant pity party over my woulda, coulda, shoulda’s. Instead, the few tears I shed, I gave back to God and simply said, thank you.

Then I sent the pics to my son and he replied with, “fluffy haired momma”. 😂 Ya think? The next text he sent, “the good ole days”.

Indeed, those were some great times, but there was also some not so great times.

Remembering the good times is healthy. I remind myself to be careful not to stay there too long. Especially when life looks different than I thought it would.

It would be easy, just like that picture stuck to another, to get stuck in a place God brought me out of. Look around. When things seem unfamiliar or uncertain, then, look up.

When I look up, I’m reminded how vast the world is. I’m reminded that God is not limited to my small mindedness.

As I look up to the sky, I’m reminded there’ll be sunny days, cloudy days, stormy days, and some days, a mix of all the weather things. Sounds a lot like life and the things we experience underneath it’s vastness.

Discouragement and panic comes when I spend too much time thinking about the what if’s, or the what was, or the what’s next.

Our brains weren’t wired to handle all the pressure that constantly, and consistently bangs on the door and threatens to blow our house down if we don’t let it in.

Is it any wonder we’re told in Matthew 6:34; ““Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (The Message)

Getting stuck in any one place because life isn’t what we expected or wanted threatens our peace and gratitude. It makes it hard to move forward or have hope. That in turn affects our health, both physically and mentally.

Trouble and grief are part of life’s journey, but so is joy and laughter. It’s all the human mix of this thing called life.

I don’t know where you’re at, but there’s someone who knows exactly what’s going on.

Jesus Christ grieves with you, but more importantly He sees you, and He’s with you. He doesn’t change. He’s not threatened by anyone’s unbelief and He’s not bullied into how we think He should be or how He should be doing things. He’s God. He doesn’t need our approval. He doesn’t rely on public opinion or approval rating polls. If that makes you uncomfortable, then let me ask, who or what do you place your trust in? And, how’s that working for ya?

Me, I’ve learned what placing trust in my instincts, my circumstances, and others, has done. So, while I may not always get it right, I’m gonna trust God to do what only He knows to do. Because a mustard seed of faith, is better than anything the world has to offer.

One last thing, if you’re feeling stuck, even if it’s hard, get outside yourself, and go help someone else. You’ll be amazed how just one simple act of blessing another can change your perspective. Who knows, you may be the answer to someone’s prayer. How awesome is that?! ❤️