Author: Jon Wellman

I don’t live an exciting life.

I recently heard a sermon where the preacher said that it is easy to get discouraged about your life, job, and diet if you spend too much time on Instagram.

See, in that little square glowing world, everyone’s life looks perfect.

Not real, but perfect.

And I’m susceptible. If I’m not careful, I can get the impression that EVERYONE has EVERYTHING better than me. And that can bog a guy down.

Trusting a God that is not visible and that sometimes can even feel distant is not always easy, either. God IS worthy of our trust and our faith, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy when (it feels like) nothing is happening. 

(it feels like) Momentum has stalled.

(it feels like) Giving up is an option.

We don’t feel the movement of the earth hurtling through the Solar System at thousands of miles an hour either. Doesn’t mean it isn’t happening in dramatic fashion.

I know that I know that I know that God loves me and is for me. Even when I forget.

I have been learning lately that a Christian’s journey through life is full of peaks and valleys. And that this is by design.

There are many reasons why we may go through tough times in life. Maybe we are meant to learn from an experience for which we do not yet understand the cause. Perhaps we don’t see the blessings in disguise -at least, not yet. Or maybe we are going the long way around a disaster waiting to happen. 

Always, God is looking out for our best interests.

In Exodus 13, God chose to lead the children of Israel the long way around the Philistines so that Israel would not be discouraged at the sight of them. Israel did not know the Philistines were on the shorter, more convenient route. But God did. And he cared enough for His people to lead them in a way they didn’t understand, but that was ultimately better for them.

I’m sure you’re like me. You find yourself in situations that do not make sense. Where you can’t see the purpose, much less the finish line. Though I still struggle, I’m learning the importance of embracing the journey as part of the blessing. Because I worship a God that is bigger than my circumstances, and a God that loves me enough to see my anger at Him when I fail to see His providence, and to forgive me.

Isn’t it funny that, when you say you’re going to do a weekly post about everything that happened during the week, you get so backed up with actual things going on that you aren’t able to keep track of everything well enough to make a concise blog post about it?

(I have no idea if that first sentence made sense, or if it is, in fact, a sentence.)

Hopefully, regularly scheduled content will reappear next weekend. There is a lot going on, and I will do my best to keep track of it all so I can share it next time.