Praying for Difficult People

Hello, everyone! Happy New Year! Yes, sadly this is my first post of 2013. I feel like such a slacker.

A lot has been going on in the Mustion house lately. We started the new year with Jimmy taking a trip to the emergency room and then being admitted into the hospital for a two day stay. Needless to say, things have been hectic.

Unfortuntely, not only was Jimmy's illness uncomfortable for him and down right scary for me it has also caused other unforeseen complications. Namely that my boss doesn't understand the concept of taking care of family and making sacrifices for your spouse. Since I have returned to work after Jimmy recovered, she has done nothing but pick at me over the smallest details and tell me that I need to shut out the rest of my life when I am as work because work is the most important.

It has literally been one thing after another for the past two weeks. I feel like I am constantly tip toeing around on eggshells, and I have shed more tears in the past two weeks than I have in the past two years. It's incredible how stressful this environment can be.

But I had a realization today...

During my quiet time I was reading about love from the book of Romans chapter 12. Up until this point, I have been focusing on how miserable my boss has made my life and all the stress that has put on me and my marriage when I bring the stress home from work, but never once have I stopped to pray FOR MY BOSS. I have prayed about the situation--mainly that God would deliver me and make it stop--but I have never prayed for HER.

It made me think. What must be going on in her life that would make her treat someone this way because they took time off to be with their husband while he was in the hospital? Maybe she doesn't understand what family is like because her whole world is her job and her two cats. Have I missed an opportunity to bless her because I haven't prayed for her earlier?

It gave me a different perspective when I stopped to think about it. I may not love my boss or the way she is treating me but God loves her. She probably really needs God's love right now. So I stopped and tried to genuinely pray for her and not just that she will stop being mean to me, but actually that God will genuinely touch her and bring peace to her life.

It wasn't easy and I am no saint. Still I realized today that praying for people that are difficult is important. It is a realization that I will have to make a conscious effort to employ. But I am sure that God will be more than willing to help me with it.

Grace and Peace,
Christiana

Life's Little Catastrophes

It's crazy how the littlest things can throw us for a major loop! For the past two months I have really, really been looking forward to going to my Grandma's house for the 4th of July. I haven't seen Grandma since she came up to surprise me for my birthday in December. Plus my Mom, Dad and sisters are going to be there too. So Jimmy and I have been saving money for gas and making our travel plans. Then on the way to and from church camp this week our minivan started smelling like gasoline. Let me tell you that there is nothing that will make you feel more ghetto than five teenagers telling you that your van smells like gas. I thought that it might be a cracked fuel line and we had someone look at our car. However, he didn't see any leaks and wasn't sure what was causing the problem. So I am back at work today and Jimmy texts me and tells me that another friend thinks that it's probably our fuel intake manifold thats leaking and it could cost us as much as $1,200 to fix it. I almost had a melt down!

#1 That's a lot of money that we don't have and #2 it's bound to mess up all of our plans! What a frustration!

Still there was no justification for the way that I reacted to this situation. Instead of going to God I decided to cry and let my frustrations and possible disappointments overwhelm me. First of all, if I had allowed God to help me handle this situation I would probably have realized right away that it may not cost us $1,200 to fix the van. I might also have had the foresight to realize that there is still a chance that we will be able to continue with our original 4th of July plans before I spent all my emotions crying it out.

Does it mean that since I have had these realizations that everything is definitely going to work out all nice and rosy--No--but it doesn't have to be something that I let defeat me. Instead I need to trust that God has plans that are bigger than mine (Prov. 16:9) and that He knows what He is doing (Jer. 29:11). Also He promises to give me the strength to handle it through Him (Phil. 4:13). I just need to trust Him (Prov. 3:5-6).

So if you could please pray that God will work this situation to His glory and His purpose and resolve our transportation issues quickly (since this is the only vehicle Jimmy can drive) I would greatly appreciate it!

Grace and Peace,

Christiana

When Life Throws You a Curve

It was Sunday afternoon. The stress had been mounting. Then the pain started…and Jimmy’s back went out. This hasn’t happened in the past four years, but when it happens it is horrible! When his back goes out Jimmy can’t do anything without pain. Sitting causes pain. Standing causes pain. Laying down causes pain. Reclining in his chair causes pain. Going to the bathroom…well you get the picture.

As a result, I was put in charge of leading youth last night. Trust managing twenty-five teens virtually on your own is not at the top of my “Fun Things to Do” list. Truth be told, I got so stressed out about it that I felt physically ill by the time 7:00 rolled around, and I had a bad attitude about it all afternoon. I wished that two of our most experienced college helpers weren’t out of town for a funeral. I wished Jimmy was well enough to go with me. I wished that the adult who sometimes fills in for us didn’t have to be in prayer meeting last night. In short, I was really selfish and whiny about the whole situation.

Then God got my attention. He brought to my mind one of the verses I memorized a long, long time ago. “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” (Phil. 2:14-16) Okay, God. I get it. I feel convicted. I have been doing exactly what this verse tells me not to do. Plus, my attitude is keeping me from being a shining light, a representation of You, to the people around me. All they see is a grouch with a frown on her face. If they knew I was a Christian I am sure that they wouldn’t want to be one! What a shame.
But God didn’t stop there…

After convicting my sinful attitude and actions, God reminded me of another memory verse. “And me know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified he also glorified.” (Rom. 8:28-20) I couldn’t believe it! God took the time to encourage me and to remind me of His promises even though I had messed up! Even if we don’t get to go to the Cardinals’ sluggie game on Friday or go on our anniversary trip to see our friends in Arkansas, God has it all under control and He is working it together for good. Why? He predestined it! It is our destiny. God knows the beginning, middle, and end or our story. Nothing escapes Him. He has called us through it and justified us in it. In the end, He will get all the glory from the good outcome He will bring to us. Yes, we may not see the good that will come from these momentary troubles until many years later, but rest assured…God ALWAYS keeps His promises.

So when life throws you a curve, STOP complaining and START looking forward to the good that will come!