The feeling of helplessness

This past week has been an eye-opening experience for us at the house. Coupled with stress of everyday decision making that we all must do in order to maintain stability at home and at the workplace, we have found that it is impossible to control those things that come unexpectedly.  Working summer school, we were looking forward to having a little extra money to "catch up".  Unfortuately, that is never the case.  It seems that something always comes up.  Deedee and I were really looking forward to going on a cruise this summer--taking the honeymoon that we never really got to take. We are still going. But the bills are adding up.

We booked it.  The next day, the air conditioner died.  Finding the money to pay for it left us in a helpless position.  To top it off, the little 3 year old developed painful ulcers in his mouth from a virus..that we could not fix.  No matter our efforts, nothing really eased his pain.  We were once again helpless.

Now, the other two have caught this mean little virus.  We know what is ahead for them.  Theres really nothing we can do but wait, do our best to relieve them, then let nature run its painful course. 

This is only a small, minute example of how small we really are.  I think that the bad things that happen--those things that make us feel helpless are perfect examples of how God reminds us that we need something bigger than ourselves.  No matter how advanced our society becomes, or how much we feel that we accomplish under our own power, in the grand scheme of things, we are incapable of controling everything.  We are only a speck in the universe--a breath away from eternity elsewhere.  That is the truth. 

Steven Curtis Chapman said it best in his song titled, "Hiding Place":

"Im not asking you to take away my troubles, Lord
because its through the stormy weather, that I learn to trust you more"

The storms will come. But he always offers hope when it passes.