"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - I Corinthians 10:13[NIV]
Tiny droplets of really cold rain hit the tips of my toes as I stood looking out over the soggy back yard through the open door. Light was just beginning to pop up in vibrant pinks, peeking over the tops of our trees. Hidden by low cloud cover but for short little bursts of blinking and twinkling glimpses through the gray.
Our first Nor'Easter of the year put a bit of a damper on our Saturday Farmer's Market plans. All of the markets in our surrounding area know to close up shop while the winds blow. As if on que, a gust of wind shook the chimney and set the oak trees to dancing up again.
And I'm frustrated. I can't sell FiddlyBits stuff, if our market isn't open.
I can't make more new product to fill some gaps in our inventory right now [a good use of a rainy day], because we have been informed that the owners of the home we currently rent, would like to sell while it's still a seller's market.
The frustration mounts. I can't really dig in and box up our house right now [another good use of a rainy day], as I have already blown threw what few packing supplies we had.
The space behind my eyes starts to tighten up. We can't exactly run out an apply for housing right now. Steven's employment is still recovering from 10 months without income - which leaves us with a credit score laying limp and bleeding out rapidly on the floor.
And as my toes start to freeze from the rain, the sun is making a good attempt at coming up all the way, I take to the Keurig and make a cup of Southern Pecan coffee.
And sigh.
It feels insurmountable. This big Elephant in the room. The giant sitting right in the middle of the things I need to get done.
Ages ago, when I was still in my teens, I found myself faced with a big issue. I can't even remember what the issue was now, but I will always remember what my Mom said to me at the time. "Kelly, how do you eat an elephant?"
I'm sorry, what?
She stopped whatever it was that SHE was doing to approach me, look me in the eye and ask again, "how do you eat an elephant?"
My first thought was, why would anyone want to eat an elephant? Then my brain went right to wondering why she was asking me this. I couldn't see where she was going.
"One bight and a time". She finished.
I love my Mom.
She's absolutely right. And then she shared I Corinthians 10:13. I love it when a verse FINALLY breaks through. The first thing that struck and stuck? I haven't been given anything in this life that somebody somewhere hasn't probably already been through. My situation isn't new to God. It's only new to me. Right now, in this space. God already knows what's going on and that brings me to the second thing that went off like a light in a dark attic. God is ALWAYS faithful.
Just. ALWAYS.
He will never give me a thing that through Him and with Him I cannot handle. Sometimes, I want to see myself as the strong individual God seems to "think I am". lol. I must be some kind of Amazon or something. Or it feels that way sometimes.
But the truth is? We are not faced with ANYTHING that isn't common to mankind.
In other words. It FEELS big and scary right now. But we are not the only ones in this particular sinking boat. The whole world is in recovery and survive mode. Maybe not in exactly the same way, but we are all being faced with a reality that no one anticipated. We all have an elephant of some size sitting in the middle of the things we need to get done.
Sometimes? The Elephant is sooooooo big? It really is better to focus on the fork, just, keep your eyes on the fork. [Read, Jesus] Before you know it, the giant thing will have disappeared, one single bight at a time.
God's got this.
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