Wide open spaces <3

One of the things I love about the Midwest is way the land spreads out wide and far.

Russ and I talk from time to time about what it would be like to live in other parts of the country and the other day he asked me if I would like to live in the mountains.

I told him I would probably enjoy living where I could see mountains…but in them…not so much.

I don’t like feeling crowded and closed in.

So today when I was working on my Psalm 34 material, I was delighted to hear in the video portion about how the word “troubles” has a meaning beyond what I would characterize the word to connote.

In verse 5 David describes a poor man who cries out to God and He listened to Him and delivered this one from all of his troubles.

Lisa Wagner explained in her video how this word troubles can mean situations and circumstances that are trials, but also means in a tight and narrow place.

Kind of like you are squeezed and confined.

Oh…I get that.

For me, I feel it mostly in my schedule.

I have way more ideas of things I want to do…tasks I need to do…and demands and requests and service to others…than an ordinary 24 hour day will accommodate.

I have a Disney World wish list of accomplishments and a trip to the grocery store amount of time to complete them.

On the daily.

And it hems me in and pinches me and makes me cranky.

Because no matter how much I get done, there was so much more I wanted to do.

Even as I type that, my throat is constricting like it does when I want to have a big old, melt down, ranting cry.

All the things I do are for the good of the Kingdom…but so were all the dreams I didn’t get to.

And in that tension of restricted time and space…I often err on the side of just crying…instead of crying out to God.

I can’t say no to most of what I do.

I can’t add hours to my day.

But I can cry out to the God who both hears AND listens…and who has the power to deliver ME and my meltdown tendencies from going off on someone or self-talking myself into a state of depression or whatever else ungodly behaviors can crop up when I am stressed out…and He can deliver me through it to accomplish in peace and contentment whatever was the dream of His for my day…and then….

He pours into me what I will need for tomorrow.

How about you?

What is your tight and narrow place today?

Will you cry out to your Abba Father and ask Him to help you get through it with grace and peace and fruit?