I had a bit of indigestion on New Year’s Eve. It reminded me of when my first child was a baby and had a terribly gassy stomach. She cried and cried, and I patted and rubbed her back, used the football hold, walked her for what felt like miles… and at the end of all that, she would burp a wee burp and settle down. All that distress, caused by a small bubble.
There are many little things that cause disproportionate trouble: an appendix, a bit of grit in the eye, or a tiny leak in a tire. That got me to thinking about whether there are seemingly small problems that have a big effect on my relationship with God.
Show me something little, Lord, that is causing You pain, I prayed. And He did.
Show me how to address it, Lord. And He did not. It was as if He smiled gently and said tenderly, “No, that is your work. You will need to figure this out.”
It would have been easier to have clear instructions, but I hadn’t asked for easy. I’d asked to see a problem, and now it was up to me to decide what to do about it. That’s fair. And challenging! Yet it’s heart-lightening to have a new task for the new year, one with a God-given focus, one that I know will move me closer to Him.
What one little thing are you doing that is causing Jesus pain? Ask… and address it in 2018!
