Tears in the back seat. Unhappy, emotional tears.
A pressure cooker in the front seat. Emotion from past days building. Driving, trying to keep it all in. Tears and emotional outbursts are just not acceptable at this age. What’s a mom to do?
Driving on. Dropping off my husband’s forgotten item to work.
It’s beautiful outside. August summer day. Warm, a few white cotton balls surrounded in perfect blue. We continue our drive back to town. The landscape breathtaking. I breathe slower. Rolling hills covered in shades of green. Beautiful. Yet inside my heart still steaming.
It’s not about the tears. The emotions. The stubborn will. It’s deeper than that.
Body calming. Fingers loosen their grip on the steering wheel. And in my heart, I hear God whisper, “Burden or blessing?”
Sharp and stabbing yet cool and refreshing. Burden or blessing. Yes, Lord, yes! I am not seeing clearly.
Situations, people, things, and circumstances. Often I am quick to see the bad, the negative. Too often I take as burden before I stop and see the blessing, see God.
God in the midst of it all. God in my life. Where there is God there is blessing.
The kids, burden or blessing? The house, burden or blessing? Friendship, burden or blessing? The red light, burden or blessing? The trip cancelled, burden or blessing?
Sometimes the bad screams louder than the blessing. Still, I would guess most times if we look, really look we would see….see the blessing. See God.
What we see as burden God is often creating, stirring a blessing. Do you trust Him? Do you trust He is good? Will you open your heart? Will you see God’s artwork? Will you see the blessing He is creating before you?
Psalm 31:19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. NLT
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. NKJV
Psalm 21:6-7 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. ESV
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ESV
If I could just remember that God can turn any burden into a blessing. I just need to see my world from His perspective. I need to ask, “What is your plan for me today?” Prov 16:9 says “We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps.” And He is so faithful to remind me that He has turned my past burdens into blessing and He will do it again and again.