Use what you've got

Money may be tight. And my house, with one squirrel too many, might resemble Jurassic Park. But you won’t hear me audibly complain. With God’s help, I’m learning to dignify my frustrations.


I learned this from Paul: you know, the Apostle.


Paul was jailed a lot. Yet we don’t remember him primarily as a prisoner. We remember him as an apostle whose letters still encourage, correct, and instruct Christians thousands of years later.


Paul was able to survive jail, its corseness, and inconveniences because he refused to let his circumstances define him.


Instead of sinking into despair, with God's help, he learned to capitalize on his confinement. Jail became, among other things, a writing retreat and a laboratory for evangelism. He wrote. He prayed. He encouraged believers. And through constant contact with guards and other captives, he had repeated opportunities to refine how he shared the Gospel: learning how to make the message clear, persuasive, and accessible to people who might never have entered a church.


So if you are in the trenches like I am, follow Paul’s lead and capitalize on your frustrations.


Look around your jail cell. What can you do now that you could never do before?


Then get up. Shake off that feeling of inadequacy and reframe your season 


It’s not UNEMPLOYMENT. It is a time to research and pursue a new goal. 


It’s not FAILURE. It’s a time to adjust your processes or even your friend group.


It’s not CONFINEMENT. It may be the uninterrupted time you need to study God’s word. 


And, perhaps my current Jurassic Park situation isn't merely a crisis. Maybe God is teaching me how to live beautifully while I wait for things to change.


Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.


Nothing is wasted with God.


Not the delay.
Not the disappointment.
Not even the squirrel.
It’s a promise, darling.