Jill Johnson
By JILL JOHNSON
I don’t know why, but it always seems like this time of year presents a struggle for me. Maybe it’s the “winter blues.”
I always think of a lesson I learned from one of my granddaughters several years ago. Every Monday morning on the way to school she would be sure to tell me, “It’s Monday so everyone is on the struggle bus. She was sure that Monday was the day everyone was struggling because they were sad they had to go back to school or work. In her mind it was a “bad day” for all involved.
One morning I asked her, "How do you get off the struggle bus?" Her answer was, “You just choose to have a good day.”
Seems simple, right? Well, not quite.
I think the last few weeks I have been on the struggle bus, and not just on Monday... more like daily. I have felt so stressed, anxious, and just "blah" about anything and everything. I can’t necessarily put my finger on any one thing because if I am being honest, I feel like everything is triggering me.
I worry about my husband, my kids, my grandkids, my finances, my friends, and everything in between. And yes, I know I am not supposed to worry, but it just seems like I can’t get control of it.
Did you know that depression, disappointment, being overwhelmed, pain, and exhaustion can cloud your perspective and prevent you from seeing the obvious glimpses of God? That's when you end up on the struggle bus. Just because you are in a difficult place doesn’t mean God’s goodness isn’t still present; it might just be difficult to see. He is always present in good times and tough times. His plan is still there when we are going through times that we call difficult or on the struggle bus. We just need to adjust our perspective.
When my perspective is clouded, it’s like I am driving through a thick fog, unable to even discern where the familiar places are. Struggles can cloud our vision. It can make us question what is true, good, and where God is. I will not say I am totally off the struggle bus yet, but here are a few things I have learned in the last few weeks.
First, one of the definitions of “struggle” is “to contend with an adversary or opposing force.” Sound familiar? I think half the battle for me is recognizing that it is not God who is trying to bring me down. In 1 Peter 5:8, the Bible says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.” I’m pretty sure that Satan could be the driver of the struggle bus! He wants us to get down and stay there. It’s to his benefit. Praise God that HE doesn't leave us or forsake us and is always on our side!
Another definition of “struggle” is “to proceed with difficulty or with great effort.” This definition makes me feel a little better because with God on my side, I am able to proceed. It might be difficult, it might take great effort, but HE can carry me through these difficult times. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
When life is difficult, He will carry you. When life is overwhelming, HE is our sustainer. When life makes you feel like no one cares when you are drowning, HE will rescue you! It is God and only God who can lift the fog, stop the worry, and calm the anxieties. It is only God who can release us from the struggle bus if we depend on Him. My struggles do not cancel out God’s goodness, but they can allow me to see His goodness more clearly. When my life seems like it is on shifting sand, His love remains steady, faithful, and unshaken.
I thought about all these definitions of struggle and decided I would make my own definition to help me rearrange my thinking:
See The Real Undeniable Grace God’s Love Endures
We must look beyond our circumstances and see the real undeniable goodness of God. When our prayers seem unanswered, when doors seem to close, when our strength feels small, God’s love always endures. Today, whatever struggle bus you are riding on, let's change buses. Get on God's bus which is filled with his real, undeniable goodness, because no matter what we might be facing or walking through, God’s love endures.
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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
