My Bad Bad Week

It started off with someone hurting my child emotionally and thinking nothing of it.  The next day another person threw me under the bus for a mistake they made.  The next day I got a huge bill in the mail because the insurance company refused payment and I had to stay on the phone for 2 hours while someone looked into the problem.  The next day, I got into a fight with my husband.  The next day one of my children was persistently defiant.  The next day...well, you get the picture.   For 10 days straight, I had never ending problems.  No one died.  No one got sick, but problem after problem after problem took their toll.  Unfortunately, I did not live that week well.  It was a bad bad week (and a half).

Have you ever had a stressful week where nothing exceptionally horrible went wrong but the problems just kept piling on?  It is utterly exhausting.  My children will tell you, I was not a good mom during that time.  I was not a good wife during that time, and honestly, I was not a very good Christian either.

Yes, I was praying.  Yes, I was reading my Bible and asking God to help me.  Unfortunately, I wasn't a particularly good listener.  So God decided to punch me in the gut.  It wasn't fun.  I'll share my experience with you, so that hopefully, you can avoid doing what I did.

One evening we were watching a ball game for one of my children when Susie started talking to a child in our neighborhood.  Susie has a kind heart and a lovely spirit.  She makes friends very easily and treats all people with abundant respect (except her brothers).  Susie has a rare ability to make people feel loved.  She isn't perfect, but she is very unique.  God has gifted her in a special way to reach people for Him.  And that is what she was doing.  I wasn't paying much attention to their conversation until my 7 year old started talking to this other child about life and church and God.  WHAT?  I was having a terrible week.  My heart wasn't right, but there was my little girl talking very sweetly, witnessing to another child she hardly knew.  If that didn't shock my spirit, the next thing I noticed did.  Susie's new acquaintance was related to the adult who had done me wrong earlier in the week.  I was still quite angry about the situation.  So, God punched me.

My very bad week had distracted me from the purpose for which I was created.  My feelings, although justified, caused me to act in a way that would turn people off to Christ.  Yet my little girl was showing Christ's love to the same people who had done me wrong.  I did not know this family was unsaved until I overheard Susie's conversation.  So God knocked me to the ground (figuratively) and reminded me in a very authoritative way that my feelings should never take precedence over the Gospel message.

I went home with my tail tucked between my legs.  Yes, I had an absolutely awful week where I was mistreated time and time again.  Subsequently my flesh decided to make some unwise postings on facebook, speak negatively about a few people in my life, and lose my patience with those I love most.  I was a terrible Christian who needed a wake up call.

Sometimes it is easier to get through the hardest times in life - like losing a loved one or dealing with a chronic illness - because during those deep dark moments we lean on God minute by minute.  But the annoying headaches of life don't always drive us to Him.  I spent my time praying, complaining about the week, asking God to stop the problems, but never listening for His guidance.  Meanwhile, my daughter was busy about her Father's work.  And my actions were contradicting hers.

This world is evil.  Sinners sin.  People hate Christians.  It should come as no surprise that we will all have bad weeks.  And, unfortunately, we'll probably all fail from time to time.  Yet it is important to remember that our purpose is not simply to solve earthly problems or stand up for ourselves or our family.  People will hurt us and lie about us and send us bills that don't belong to us.  We will get upset.  But our overarching purpose is to share the Gospel.  If our actions compromise the Gospel of Christ, beware, God has a nasty right hook.  And He will get you.

Hebrews 12:6 - For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.