Have you ever found yourself in a situation where life just smacks you in the face and your world starts spinning like the cartoon birdies on the old Saturday morning cartoons? Our response during these times can set us up for success if we can keep proper focus.

Many times, however, when things come at us fast and furious, we are not capable of seeing anything else around us. When our world is dark and gloomy, we cannot see the sun shining or the silver lining in the clouds. Scripture is full of passages that show us that lamenting allows us to bring our focus on God and allows us to find our rest and peace in Him. Take for instance Psalm 130. The psalmist starts off crying to the Lord, but he does not end there. He continues understanding where his hope comes from. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his Word, I hope (Psalm 130:5).”

For many, we do not turn to the Lord when we are in a dark, lonely place. Instead, we turn to coping mechanisms or struggle with anxiety, depression, anger, and doubt. These places leave us empty and alone, the opposite of what God has desired for our life in Him. When we find rest in the loving arms of our Savior, we can take it one day at a time because God’s story has already been written, and it is glorious. The beauty of God’s story is that He uses the brokenness in our story to shine even brighter through His. Before we give up or give in, I pray we will give it to God. Through Him and His sovereign plan, we can truly find rest in His story, even when we cannot in ours.

Guest blogger ~ Pastor Rob Tahtinen