I'm sure most of you at some time or another have gone through rough patches. These rough patches of life seem to crop up when you least expect them. They tear at your soul, cause you to worry and most often leave you with a feeling of fear. How do you manage rough patches? Does your body go haywire and start to shut down? Does your stomach ache with worry? Does it consume your every thought?
I've definitely been through a few rough patches in my life. I remember a time when I was younger and living in Germany. My husband was deployed to Kuwait for six months and I was left home working a demanding full time job while taking two online college classes and taking care of two little boys,9 and 2 years old. This rough patch was partly my fault for trying to be superwoman to everyone. I remember just pushing myself to the brink of sanity and wondering why things were failing around me. You worry. You weep. You try to pull it together because by golly you're the mom.
There are times when we least expect a rough patch. Take this week for instance. Imagine getting a phone call that your brother-in-law was possibly having a heart attack and being rushed to the hospital. The first thing you want to do is tell your husband, but wait he's out of town on business and is unavailable to take phone calls during the day. Then your thoughts turn to panic when you think about your brother-in-laws age...he's only a few years older than your husband. You think about your father who just had a stress test and cath procedure a week ago with open heart surgery looming in the background. You worry. You weep. You try to pull it together because by golly you're the mom.
Then you get a phone call early the very next morning that your beloved grandma has fallen and potentially broken her hip. My cousin called to tell me and she was so shook up because of what normally happens to the elderly when they fall and break a hip. You panic. Because you can't hold her hand. You worry. Because you don't know what will happen to her from this point forward. You weep. Because you don't want to say goodbye. You try to pull it together because by golly you're the mom.
We will have rough patches. God has shown me that even through these rough patches He is there. I used to worry.
Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I used to lean on others for strength and often thought I alone had the strength to get through it. That is not what our merciful father wants from us.
Proverbs 3:1-6 1My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2for they will prolong your life many years,and bring you prosperity. 3Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Then I learned to lean on my heavenly father. I used to worry immediately, now I pray. I not always sure what to pray, but He knows my heart.
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Our heavenly Father wants so much for us to communicate with him our needs, our concerns and our worries. In these times of helplessness, He is able to move in and through us. These rough patches are just that, patches of time that will pass. When climbing the mountain it is very hard to see to the other side, but once you make it to the top, the view is magnificent.
Today, I'm turning my rough patch over to Jesus. I'm trusting him to intercede for me where I can't. I asking him to give my heart peace for I have no idea what tomorrow has in store, but I do know He will provide all the strength I need to get through it all.
Are you thinking of a rough patch that you've been through recently? What did you do and how did you handle it? Take a step back when you're faced with a rough patch. See how seeking God can make the difference.
Blessings
Sherry
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