The Best Place to Be

How is it that sometimes we feel as if we’re in the worst possible place, emotionally, financially, mentally or physically, but at the same time something inside tells us that we’re at the best possible place? Does it make any sense?
I’m not talking about a drug addict hitting rock bottom although that is an extreme example of how it is possible to carry on in life until suddenly things come crashing down to wake us up. No, I’m talking about how we can live our lives doing what is right and feeling pretty good about it; with a little bit of pride developing along the way that tells us that we really have a handle on things. Then something happens; we receive a letter in the mail or a phone call. Something that we had planned doesn’t work out and the realization hits that we do not have as much under our control as we thought. We feel like we failed and memories of other failures quickly resurface. Upon losing our sense of control fear sets in, fear of what can happen, fear of what we do not know. We realize we’re once again down in the valley fighting the notion to give up even though we sense that something better does lie ahead. But to get there we will have to travel through someplace we have never been before.
On Sunday the pastor said (not in these words exactly) that when the giants look the biggest we are that much closer to the Promised Land. Isn’t that what made the Israelites turn away only to die in the desert? Instead of giving up like they did I want to learn from them and trust God to fight these giants so to speak. On her show recently Joyce Meyer said “Do what is possible and then have faith that God will do the impossible.”
On the other hand, what about these feelings of fear? After all, when we start to face the inevitable what is kept under our polite guise seems to turn into somewhat of a monster. If that stops us and we turn away from what God is trying to teach us we will probably end up in this place again, but the day when we do come into the abundant life God has for us will be no closer until we take these steps, learn and grow.
The Lord says “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” So let us enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. He is our Father and his house is filled with good things.