Discouraged?

I just have to take a few minutes here at work and say out loud (in writing anyway) that I am choosing to trust God in the face of discouragement. Church life has it's ups and downs, good and bad, just like every other part of life, and somedays that just gets to a person. That is, if I don't go to my knees in submission and petition before God.

I know for me, before Him is where things change and my perspective gains balance again. Before Him, the problems don't seem so big. Before Him, I am reminded that He is ultimately Lord, and even if things are not going the way I think they should, He is still there and is still working it together for good. Oh how I love that I can trust His faithfulness!

I'm so thankful that today, on a day that has brought some unexpected discouragement, I also received some unexpected encouragement through some very real answers to a long prayed prayer for someone I love very much. I am reminded again that He is bigger than I give Him credit for and that His timing is best, by a long shot.

So what am I saying? Good question. I'm writing on the fly here with thoughts going in several directions, one of those thoughts being that I should be working on something else, but I just have to say again that going to Jesus with everything is the key to real peace. If I bring Him my dashed hopes, my frustration, my weakness, disappointment in others, and all those other discouraging things, I see them in a different light and gain fresh hope and fresh eyes to see all that is good and all that He is doing. Isn't that cool? I will gladly bow before Him for that!

Thanks for listening. I feel better now....