Lapse, Relapse, and Setbacks

We’ve had illness at our house since February 1st.

Today is March 16th, and I am ready for a healthy home.

I have a cough that is hanging on a bit. But I really can’t figure out if Don’s illness has morphed from the original or he was on the mend but then had a relapse.

Of course, we won’t ever really know. And it doesn’t much matter. It’s just how it is.

But, it got me thinking about lapses — in judgement.

And relapses — which don’t always involve judgement but sometimes do.

And then, of course, setbacks which cover a wide range of things from mental, physical, spiritual, financial, and more.

They are all interruptions that take you off the path you had hoped or planned to be on. And they can be frustrating.

But, there is also some learning that can happen in those times as well. Are you teachable? Are you curious? Would you like to figure out how to get closer to solving that persistent problem?

And, possibly, is this that “thorn in your flesh” that I suspect we all have? The Apostle Paul talks about his in 2 Corinthians:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV]

We are living on an Earth riddled by sin. And our sin contributes to it as well. What if this thorn in the flesh is actually something for our good — to keep us tethered to God and dependent on Him for our every day? At the very least it can be something used for our good, by God.

I am not a theologian. But I know God loves me. And I trust His work in my life.

Sometimes I cause my own grief and sometimes difficulties are thrust upon me. I lapse and relapse. I have and will continue to experience setbacks in all the ways.

But, I am confident in God’s work in and through it all. I pray you are as well!

His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness!

My grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Power. Strength. Ability. We are not wired to be independent little islands and yet we work towards a level of self-sufficiency that often negatively impacts our relationship with our Savior. Our weaknesses reveal God’s strength. I am often too busy making sure I have done all the things that I forget who is really behind them. And having an ability apart from knowing who has granted it can lead me to a “I did it myself” type of attitude.

Let’s be sure to give the credit where it is due. And rest in God’s good gifts of grace!

Tealeaves

I had some tea at my friend’s house the other day. I like tea but I had no idea how real tea really worked. I mostly just figured tea was tea. I never wondered about it, actually.

When my friend asked if I would like tea, she listed all the typical options. But then asked if I wanted real Chinese tea. She had been a missionary in Taiwan for over three years so she knew quite a bit more about how real tea worked. I was intrigued so that is what I chose.

tea1ew — These little guys are just a little bigger than a whole clove.

First she tossed a few of these little things in a special teacup with a filter. I like strong tea so it didn’t really look like enough but she assured me it was. Then we added some hot water. We dumped out the water after a couple of minutes and then added more boiling water. This was all new to me! But it was a necessary part of the process.

We were waiting for the tealeaves to open. It takes several minutes.

It turns out she had dumped in a few too many because as the tealeaves kept relaxing from their dried state they nearly filled the filter. But the tea was delicious. I kept adding more water to the leaves and they continued to provide me with tea.

I am surprised how dried and compact tealeaves are. They look so small and unassuming but then open up to be five times their size. It takes time for them to move from the dried state to being able to steep and provide flavor but once they are ready, they can provide multiple pots of tea. I know there is much more to learn about tea but I am glad to have added to my knowledge. I am sure my friend thought I was crazy because it was so interesting to me. I am glad she took the time to teach me some of what she knew about tea.

Dried tealeaves don’t look like much. The process of getting tea from them seems a bit like some events in life. Sometimes what you have to work with doesn’t seem like much but God transforms that “little bit” to be sufficient or even abundant!

Do you recall a time in your life where God’s provision was more than you imagined?

On the Road,
Liz