If you think about it life is really not that hard. No, really, it isn't. We as human beings make it complicated. Our decisions, indecisions, our choices, our drama. That's what makes life hard. In general, life is pretty dag-gone good. So what is it that makes us make life so hard?
I've pretty much come to the conclusion pride is the culprit. Personally anything that is causing me strife usually results from pride. Being too prideful to say I'm sorry. Too prideful to admit I was wrong. Ring a bell? Anyone?
We usually end up finding ourselves before God saying "Lord, help me. I don't understand. This person hurt me. This person is acting ridiculous. That person is causing so much drama. Lord, help me!" Honestly, only we can help ourselves in those situations. Situations that we've either created or participated in by leaving God out. God gave us pretty clear instructions. There are many. "I was wrong" or "I am sorry" both top the list.
My phone started buzzing at 3:15AM yesterday. Scared me half to death! It was my brother. Our Dad had demanded to be taken to the ER for shortness of breath. First of all, he's dying from COPD and congestive heart failure. He's short of breath. He, himself, had an attorney draw up a DNR (do not resuscitate) and Non Transport. He understood that when he signed the hospice papers he was never going back to the hospital again. He was going back to the critical care unit ward of his assisted living community. To remain comfortable until he dies. We were all on the same page.
The critical care nursing assistance staff disregarded the orders. They called 911 rather than hospice. All they had to do was give him double doses of morphine to relax the lungs and calm him down. They chose not too. So, there went George, willingly, to the ER.
The ER sent him home once they figured out he was a hospice patient. But we are stuck with a $50,000.00 bill. Oh yeah, when you volunteer to go into the HOSPICE program you forfeit going into the hospital unless, of course, you pay out of pocket.
So at 3:15AM we had nurses blaming my father, hospice blaming the critical care nurses, the facility blaming the ambulance for actually picking him up, oh yeah, and the hospital wanting to know who was funding the whole debacle. In the words of my husband "It was one great big gigantic cluster".
My brother has developed an ulcer. Yesterday my back tooth was hurting. Went to the dentist only to find I have been grinding my teeth so hard that I cracked a back molar. Go me, crown next Wednesday. Yee haw!
Life is actually quite stressful right now. I have to beg the question is it our fault? I think it is. We are battling a dying man with great will and pride. It could have been a different kind of hard. My Father refused to come live with us. Where his every need would be met, round the clock nurses, my cooking (hey, don't laugh, it's better than institutional food), my in laws visiting, two of his grandchildren 40 minutes away. The other grandchild, son and daughter in law visiting on weekends. My brother works 12 hour days and my sister in law flies. I work from home. It made perfect sense. George pridefully refused. Thus we have utter and total chaos. Physical break down of all of our bodies and the financial strain to fund his $20,000 a month room with which he's miserable.
Yesterday I opened my bible. This was the verse staring back at me on the page:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity."-Jeremiah 29:11-14
I've pretty much come to the conclusion pride is the culprit. Personally anything that is causing me strife usually results from pride. Being too prideful to say I'm sorry. Too prideful to admit I was wrong. Ring a bell? Anyone?
We usually end up finding ourselves before God saying "Lord, help me. I don't understand. This person hurt me. This person is acting ridiculous. That person is causing so much drama. Lord, help me!" Honestly, only we can help ourselves in those situations. Situations that we've either created or participated in by leaving God out. God gave us pretty clear instructions. There are many. "I was wrong" or "I am sorry" both top the list.
My phone started buzzing at 3:15AM yesterday. Scared me half to death! It was my brother. Our Dad had demanded to be taken to the ER for shortness of breath. First of all, he's dying from COPD and congestive heart failure. He's short of breath. He, himself, had an attorney draw up a DNR (do not resuscitate) and Non Transport. He understood that when he signed the hospice papers he was never going back to the hospital again. He was going back to the critical care unit ward of his assisted living community. To remain comfortable until he dies. We were all on the same page.
The critical care nursing assistance staff disregarded the orders. They called 911 rather than hospice. All they had to do was give him double doses of morphine to relax the lungs and calm him down. They chose not too. So, there went George, willingly, to the ER.
The ER sent him home once they figured out he was a hospice patient. But we are stuck with a $50,000.00 bill. Oh yeah, when you volunteer to go into the HOSPICE program you forfeit going into the hospital unless, of course, you pay out of pocket.
So at 3:15AM we had nurses blaming my father, hospice blaming the critical care nurses, the facility blaming the ambulance for actually picking him up, oh yeah, and the hospital wanting to know who was funding the whole debacle. In the words of my husband "It was one great big gigantic cluster".
My brother has developed an ulcer. Yesterday my back tooth was hurting. Went to the dentist only to find I have been grinding my teeth so hard that I cracked a back molar. Go me, crown next Wednesday. Yee haw!
Life is actually quite stressful right now. I have to beg the question is it our fault? I think it is. We are battling a dying man with great will and pride. It could have been a different kind of hard. My Father refused to come live with us. Where his every need would be met, round the clock nurses, my cooking (hey, don't laugh, it's better than institutional food), my in laws visiting, two of his grandchildren 40 minutes away. The other grandchild, son and daughter in law visiting on weekends. My brother works 12 hour days and my sister in law flies. I work from home. It made perfect sense. George pridefully refused. Thus we have utter and total chaos. Physical break down of all of our bodies and the financial strain to fund his $20,000 a month room with which he's miserable.
Yesterday I opened my bible. This was the verse staring back at me on the page:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity."-Jeremiah 29:11-14
I am not a theologian. But I quickly got what the Lord was saying. He has plans for all of us. If, operative word, we follow His biblical instructions. If we live our lives the way He has directed us to, and life is still hard, then go to Him. Pray, cry out, and He will listen to us. He will deliver us from our circumstances if we seek Him with all of our hearts.
How do we do that? Follow his commandments for life. If we do that and we are still in a bind He is there for us! Hmm. Maybe that's why sometimes we don't hear back from Him when we pray? Maybe when we are prideful or dishonest He is silent to help us look to His word for direction?
The Lord truly rocks. I mean, He left us explicit directions for every single circumstance in our lives. And he left us directions on how to respond to those circumstances. How to live our lives according to His will. We make it hard. We try to go our own way and then cry out "Lord where are you? Help, me!" Pride. Plain and simple. Anyone?
Lay your pride down at His feet today. Pickup life where you left it. Say your "I'm sorrys". He will be right beside you the whole way. Each new day He will have directions for you in His word. Just open it! It's really not that hard.
"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace"-1 Corinthians 14:33
