Have you ever heard someone say, when asked how they're doing, "I'm okay under the circumstances"? As children of the most High God, we should never allow the circumstances to determine how we successful our walk with God is. Don't we have a big enough God to handle the circumstances? God has proven over and over throughout the Bible that He is bigger than anything that may be bothering us or holding us back from a joyful Christian life. God can control the rising and setting of the sun; He made water come out of a rock; He made an entire valley full of dead bones come alive again; Jesus controlled the weather; He made the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk; He even raised the dead! We sometimes act like our God has somehow lost power or ability or strength in modern times. We live as if "Sure, God could do all that WAY BACK THEN, but nowadays He's just not the same." Not true!!! Our God is all-powerful, all-seeing, fully able to do anything we need. Why do we then mope around, wishing we had a magic lamp to rub so some mythical genie could grant us what we want? Just ask God! He expects us to go to Him with our needs and desires. He wants us to ask Him for His divine help whenever life gets too big for us.
"When life hands you lemons, make pizza. Then stand back and smirk while everyone tries to figure out how you did it!"
Isn't this a great life motto? I mean, who wants boring old lemonade anyway? It's always too tart, and adding enough sugar to keep your mouth from puckering makes your blood sugar skyrocket. Am I right? Why not do something amazing instead?
If you can't tell, I'm deliberately looking for the crazy in life to celebrate. If I were to list all the events of the Ostrander household from the past few weeks, by the time you were finished reading it you'd be curled up in a corner somewhere rocking slowly back and forth, waiting for the men with the straight jackets to come. We have not had a "normal" day for weeks! Our days off are like mini circuses, and our "regular" days have turned into nothing short of torture devices cleverly packaged in 24 hour increments. Not to say we've had nothing but bad stuff going on, but even good days or fun times can be chaotic when you start with a husband/father who works himself to the bone to provide for a family of seven, then attempts to find some free time to take care of the house and yard, go to the gym, and maybe relax some! Next comes the wife/mother who, at her best, is slightly neurotic and, at her worst, resembles the Wicked Witch of the West. Somehow, despite her looks, figure, and abilities, she views herself as Wonder Woman and is constantly volunteering herself (and her kids) for all sorts of extra activities. Add to this a daughter who is a freshman in college, away from home, and homesick; another daughter who is fast approaching her senior year and maybe college after that and then what do I do with my life???!!!!!; a son who somehow can't seem to keep from falling.....while walking, standing, or even sitting (!) and keeps us all literally on our toes, waiting for the other shoe to drop---with him in it; another daughter who is almost 13 going on almost 39 and is proving to be the proverbial challenging mix of teenage angst, sweet help, and crazy woman-girl; and the youngest daughter who, precious though she is, is driving us all nuts with her goofy antics, unwillingness to do more than two pages of schoolwork on any given day, and desire to be the center of each and every conversation anyone within five miles is having.
In other words, we're just a normal family living normal lives and facing normal struggles like everybody else. We have frequently had people tell us with all sincerity, "Your family is amazing. There's no way I would have been able to handle what happened to your son and still serve God or stay faithful." Truth be told, what I said earlier is absolutely true: we're just a normal family.........with an incredible God! You're right; there's no way we would have been able to handle Dale's drowning were it not for the fact that we trust God. Period. We trust Him to always know what's best, to always do what's best, and to always be what's best. We don't trust God unless.........and wait to fill in the blank whenever something happens we don't like or understand. If God is trustworthy, then trust Him. Why does He constantly have to keep proving Himself to us? Wasn't Calvary enough?
As crazy/hard/unbearable/overwhelming as life gets sometimes, we can lean on God at all times to be Himself---trustworthy, loving, true, right, good. If you have not already made the decision to trust God no matter what, try it. You'll see. He won't fail you.
Psalm 104: 1 "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty."
