Jen’s Gem: Nothing is bigger than God. Nothing.
Yesterday marked one month since we moved into our new condo. One month! How is that possible? We are settled in and that feeling of “I’m on vacation” is slowly transitioning to “Yes, we live here.” I think it happened when I realized I actually had to clean the bathrooms!
There have been two hiccups in our new place. The heat is stifling and of course, you know the other one – my internet connection. Maintenance has been called regarding the sauna-like temperatures that have contributed to me losing those last few pounds. My internet? I’m finally back in business.
After three visits from the cable guy, dozens of phone calls to tech support, and countless reboots, cache-clearings, and tears (ok, maybe not countless tears but…a lot), I’m surfing the web like a pro. How? The solution was right in front of me the entire time. Literally.
The third and final cable guy tried to blame my slightly-aging purple laptop’s wireless card. However, he also provided me with a clue when he told me because my desk was located next to two walls, that the Wi-Fi signals may not be making it through. Apparently Wi-Fi can’t find its way through cement. Go figure! He was able to back up his hypothesis because our phone Wi-Fi was working without error.
As I explained this latest finding to my son, he was like “Duh Mom. If we have Wi-Fi throughout the entire condo, then it has to be your computer or where it’s at.” He then tried to convince me to work in my bedroom, to which I responded with a firm “no.” Bedrooms are for sleeping and since I do so little of that lately, I was not about to jeopardize the few Z’s I get by having additional radio waves in my room.
However, I had to do something. Sitting at my desk, I caught a glimpse of the bright orange Post-it® note on my desk pad. “Be still and know that I am God.” I placed this note here some time ago – before the move – to remind me of who’s the boss. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times seeing this reminder got me through bouts of writer’s block, overwhelming email boxes, and Bible college research papers.
I stared at this note for a bit and looked up – and right in front of me was my dining room table.
Smack in the middle of the room with no walls to the left or right – open space was a potential solution. I unplugged my laptop and as I walked across the room, the “No Internet Found” message that plagued me for weeks was transformed into the familiar Google search screen.
No cable guy. No tech support. No new laptop. I sat down at the table and shook my head. The answer was right in front of me the whole time. Literally right in front of me as you can see by the photo. Who knew? God did.
There may be some reading this post that are saying, “Come on Jen. That wasn’t God. That was just you trying something new on a whim.” Possibly. However, why hadn’t the idea come to me before the b-zillion cable guy visits and hours of my life on the phone with tech support that I’ll never get back? Simple. I was relying on myself – my own understanding to fix the problem instead of trusting God to provide me a solution.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [a]direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
As human doings (yes – doings because we focus more on our “do” than our “be”), we wrestle with our challenges to the point of exhaustion instead of trusting God. When we finally get around to handing stuff over to Him, it’s usually when we’re at the end of our rope.
I’m certain you’ve said something like “Ok God, I’ve tried everything. It’s your turn now.” All the while, God is sitting on His throne in heaven waiting for us to simply ask Him for help. It’s like a parent watching their child learn a new skill. They desperately want to jump in and fix it, because of the love they have for their child and not wanting to see them suffer.
That’s how God works. He’s waiting to jump in and provide solutions to our challenges. He wants us to experience breakthroughs in the strongholds we have in our lives. But He is a gentleman and He won’t force His way in. He’ll jump at the chance if invited, but He has to be asked first. How does God respond to our asking for help? He gives it freely and as is stated in Mark 11:24, He gives His help in whatever we ask. Whatever you ask.
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
Like my internet connection solution, your breakthrough might be right in front of you. That illness, that broken relationship, that job search, that wayward child – that “whatever you ask,” has a solution. When you just stop your “doing” and remember who’s the boss and all He is capable of, the answer will appear right in front of you.
This week, I’d like to encourage you to create a few Post-it® reminders of your own that will remind you of who God is and what He can do. Place them throughout your home so that when those moments of overwhelm and frustration come a-calling, you’ll be able to glance at them and remember who’s got your back.
Here are a few to get you started:
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
“With God, nothing is impossible.” (Matthew 19:26)
“No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
“God has a great plan for my life.” (Jeremiah 29:11)