Keep Hanging On!

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 21)

Good morning!

Ever have one of THOSE kind of mornings?

Yesterday was like that for me.  I got up early, had my quiet time, got myself ready to go.  I had an important doctor's appointment scheduled for the morning that I could not miss, kids to get off to school, lunch to be made promptly upon my return, etc, etc.  I knew what I had to do, how much time I had to get it done, and what was expected of me.

Is that creepy dramatic music playing in the background?

OK, so there was an incident with the curling iron (don't ask).  Then there were the "parental moments" with the kids that made us late for school, one child missing the bus and having to be driven.  After getting the kids on their way to school, in the car on the way to the doctor's appointment I realize that the appointment was not yesterday but actually a week later (totally my fault).  Of course, the doctor couldn't take me yesterday, so I have to come back next week at the correct time. 

Now, none of these things in and of themselves are worth writing about.  I mean, we all have "jelly side down" kind of mornings, don't we?  And all the essentials are there:  God's provision, good health, a loving husband and family.  Sometimes, however, things just don't happen the way we plan.

What was my reaction to all this?  Well, a few tears of frustration were shed, and then, I received a spiritual reality check.

Was I going to let my circumstances get the better of me--render me useless for the rest of the day-- or was I going to cling to what I knew to be true about myself, and about God?

I found this verse in Jude while I was getting my heart back "on track" after such a rocky start to my day:  "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 21)  And it reminded me that no matter what comes my way, I am not in this life alone.

Remembering to stay in God's love is a good place to start.  The word "keep" in this verse is interesting.  It means to watch or be on guard, by keeping my eyes open and alert.  In short, I should be on the lookout for God's love in the day to day circumstances of life.

The ugliness of sin is all around me, as I am reminded in verses 18-19 of this chapter.  "Bad things" can and do happen.  That is why I need to be so much  more vigilant to watch for God's love and His mercy in the every day chaos of life. Sometimes the circumstances are just a string of inconveniences, like yesterday morning.  Other times there are real dangers lying in wait to destroy my walk with the Lord.

I may have some rough starts along life's journey, but who doesn't?  Does that mean that I abandon all, and go hide under the covers until I can face life again?

Or will I choose to watch for God's love and mercy for me, even in the midst of difficulties?

I think I know what to do, for the next time life attacks.

By the way, I still went jogging, had a great lunch, got a lot of work done yesterday on the computer and around the house, and my child that was corrected before school came home at lunch with a broken and repentant heart.

Take that, "bad" day.