Prayer Works Better Than Worry
My daily devotions have been remarkably persistent lately. Trust God. Don't complain. Believe when things seem impossible. You know what that means, right? A test was coming!
Saturday was our annual community-wide family fun day, our biggest outreach event of the year. Picture bouncy houses, obstacle courses, carnival games, and excited children everywhere. It takes an army of volunteers to run each station smoothly.
As the coordinator, I'd been struggling with the volunteer roster. We were already at least two people short, forcing me to consider doubling up some staff. Several potential helpers responded with those dreaded words: "I might be able to help, but I can't commit."
The anxiety was building as the day approached. Then Friday evening, the phone rang. One of our core volunteers had a family crisis and needed to bow out. Completely understandable, but my heart sank. I took a deep breath, committed everything to God (again), and told myself I absolutely would not panic.
Helpless But Hopeful
At the time of this writing, it is three days before our biggest community event of the year. I’ve been planning and preparing for weeks, hoping to iron out every wrinkle so the day will run smoothly and successfully. But you know what the Bible says about man's plans, right?
About a week and a half ago, my back decided to throw one of its fits. This wasn't its everyday pinch, sting, and ache. This was lying flat in the bed for an entire week! Yup, a whole week where I couldn't work on the mountain of things that needed to be done. Oh, how helpless and frustrated I felt.
After a visit with my osteopath, I finally started feeling some relief and could start pecking away at a chore here and there as long as I took long rest and stretch breaks in between.