Living in Upheaval and Angst

Pigeons are so intelligent.

Since July, Bob and I have gone through two difficult life situations.

The first began July 2, 2024 about our business. I won't go into detail. Suffice to say, it felt like someone set off a bomb inside my mind and caused us great worry and confusion.

The second began in October 2024 and involved our tenant. So I don't have to rehash all the dirty deeds this tenant has committed--to us and her own children--let me simply say we're now in the throes of the legal system and going through an arduous and costly eviction process.

Fun stuff, all.

But this is the thing, I think about Job. Not Steve Jobs but Job in the Bible. His troubles eclipses ours by mountains. He lost his livelihood, his children, his land and yet he was faithful. Living through all his upheaval and angst, he kept his faith in God. He knew God wouldn't forsake him. Job knew his life was fully in the hands of God and whether he regained his livelihood and land, he would remain faithful to God because God always remains faithful to those He loves and God loved Job.

If you haven't read Job, it's a great Book to read if you're struggling with patience or experiencing any of the many hardships life can hand you.

But here's something else. My sister, Elizabeth Boyer just yesterday (and interestingly after a not very positive legal thing), sent this link to me: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/what-if-the-lord-isnt-willing.html?utm_source=Daily&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_medium=newsletter

It's an article from ChristianPost.com. This is how it starts out:

What if the Lord isn’t willing?

By Robin Schumacher, Exclusive Columnist Monday, June 02, 2025

I want you to stop and consider something for a moment. Reflect on today and recall what happened to you, the things you did, and the experiences you had. If it’s early for you right now, substitute yesterday for today and do the same thing. All done? Now let me ask you: would any of that have happened had God not willed that it would?

Believers agree that God is in control. Full control. No matter what.

Yes, we can still feel the emotional pangs of unanswered prayers or unanswered hopes and dreams but should we deny God or better yet, stop believing because we had a bad day? No. No, we should not. EVERYONE has difficult days, weeks, months, years. If you doubt that, just look at the war in Ukraine or the suffering in Sudan or the never-ending battle between Palestine and Israel.

Because those things happen far from us, we tend to discount their upheaval and angst as less, somehow. Trust me. If we were there, we surely would not discount the suffering and hardship these people are enduring and have endured.

I believe it's these difficult times we come closer to God. We stand closer to Him. We say, Help me, Lord. And we say, God help me, please. Sometimes all we say is, Oh my God.

He knows our strife because His Son knew the world, lived in this world. He knows the evil nature of bad people.

This is my takeaway. He doesn't do these things to us because He's not of the world but things happen to us because the world isn't a nice place a lot of the time. When we turn to God, He must be so happy that we don't say things like Job's wife said to Job when things got touch. She said to Job, Curse God and die.

What a lovely woman, right? Holy Moses. What a terrible thing for your wife to say when you've sunk to the lowest this world can throw you. Granted, she had to have felt her sadness and grief for her children. But so did Job and he remained faithful. Job's wife did not.

So, how does one rise above all the turmoil and sadness? Well, I believe we must first experience the emotion, then turn our emotion over to God, then find beauty in our everyday. Because our everyday has robins and chickadees. Everyday has new grass and flowers springing up. Everyday has a friend who loves us. And everyday God hopes for the best in us and for us.

I encourage you to read Job. It's long but oh my, is it a worthy book. And here's another something for when you're having troubles...

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

God bless us all, Susan.