Give Up? Give it to Him.

Calm. Cool. Steady. These three words have definitely not described me lately. However, all three words were in the title of a devotional I read last week. Unfortunately, I did not read it until Friday, even though it was scheduled for me to read on Tuesday. It was that kind of week.

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. 
Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. - 2 Timothy 4:5 (NLT)

Work. This has been the source of frustration for me much of this school year. There just seem to be too many changes, annoyances, newbies and rules. Oh, the minutia of all the rules! The job I used to love, that I was convinced God was calling me to, has not been a source of joy for me lately.

I used to be one of those people who counseled others on "doing what you love". Find your passion. Use that as your goal or career choice. Hmmmmm. After all, that's what I had done. But, things change. Passions and interests, they change. Does that mean that careers should change? You can't just quit your job or make a huge life decision based on your passions. Can you?

Keep a clear mind. Focus. These are hard things to do. Especially when your surrounded by challenges, frustration, and so many rules.

Don't get me wrong. I love rules. I'm what you would classify as a "rule follower". If you give me a rule, I'm going to do my best to make sure I follow it. That's why all these rules are leading to stress and frustration. To follow all the rules means less time for doing the things I love. Less time to make a difference.

Instead of being ruled by our emotions when we're confronted with problems, 

we should calm down and focus on doing what God has called us to do. 

If you're upset about something, instead of letting it ruin your life, 

turn it into something good. - Joyce Meyer

Don't be ruled by emotions. Carry out the ministry God has given you. With so many things changing, it has been difficult to see God's ministry for me. What, for so much of my adult life, has seemed clear, has now become foggy. What was once easy to perceive, has become ambiguous.

Every year, my mom buys my kids advent calendars that have a little piece of chocolate inside for each day. The girls love everything about them. They love having something to open each day, the surprise of finding out what will be imprinted on the chocolate, and, probably most of all, eating the chocolate. 

My son does not like chocolate. Would rather not even touch it. But, he loves numbers.

His joy in those calendars is in finding the numbers, opening the little doors, and looking at the chocolate. Just looking. No eating. He finds joy in the nuances, the small part. The part, which for most of us would seem insignificant, or even frustrating - if we couldn't find the right number fast enough. When thinking about this, I can't help but wonder if I'm missing some of the joy, in the little things.

Tell others the Good News. Turn your trials into something good. I think the what is obvious. It's the how, all the little nuances, that are open to interpretation. My desire...to let God interpret it for me. It's time to give it back to Him. Let Him resolve it. He will let me know what He decides. I'm sure of that.