Unloading and Exploding!
The grace of God is with you no matter what happens.
(1 Peter 5:12 NLT)
Today, I yelled at God … literally. My dog had been diagnosed with cancer, I was on my way to an oncology appointment with her to determine next steps, it was hot and humid, people had been annoying me all morning, I was irritated and exasperated before I even set out.
Then it got worse. The GPS lost its mind and had me driving in circles. I switched to my phone app, which helpfully put my phone into “drive” mode to make sure I did not make or receive any calls that could distract me. I hit two sets of roadworks on the route that the app told me was the quickest, resulting in long delays. Finally, I arrived at my destination, or so the app told me. No sign of the clinic. I tried to call for directions. The phone app would not come out of drive mode so I couldn’t make any calls. I turned the phone off, it decided it did not want to turn back on. Finally, with dog underarm, I ran into a store to ask if they knew where the clinic was. They didn’t. I continued thumping the phone until it finally turned back on, only to discover I had dropped my reading glasses when I ran into the store so I couldn’t see the digits on the phone anyway.
My appointment was due in 15 minutes, then 10, then overdue. I snapped and yelled at God. Really yelled. Why was He not easing my path, how much more nonsense did He expect me to deal with, why couldn’t He just help me?!
I finally found the clinic, the appointment went well, and I wended my weary way home, now with a headache and a massive backpack of guilt. How could I be such an ungrateful brat when He had done so much for me? I carried my self-inflicted burden around until bedtime when I opened my evening devotional and read the wonderful scripture above. No matter what happens, His grace is with me. No matter what happens! That includes unloading and exploding.
He is a big God; He can handle your frustration and anger and will not hold it against you. He knows we walk in a difficult world; He walked in it Himself.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrew 4:14 NIV)
If you have unloaded and exploded, do not let guilt keep you away from Him. He forgives you and chooses to forget it so if He does, why don’t you?
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12 NIV).
