There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. Solomon tells us that He has made everything beautiful in its time and that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. (See Ecclesiastes 3:1,11.)
God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God did this with the nation of Israel after a season of famine and devastation.
God wants each of us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving Father who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places. If God has taken you through a time of leanness, know that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. He will do it.
"I will repay you" sprung at up me like a jack in the box because at this point of time, I really do feel that I need to be "reimbursed" for the lack of sleep, for the worry worn days and in more literal term - for my back pay.
I'm not sure how exactly how I will be "repaid," and I don't want to place my demands on God. However, in my collective past experience with seasons of suffering, I can trust that even right now, God is actively doing something like he always does.
In the meantime, I've been blessed in little ways that are easy to overlook.
I have a very supportive faith community that is constantly praying for me "behind my back."
I have a very reassuring boyfriend that reminds me of how unnecessarily hard I'm being on myself and that I'm not as inadequate that I think I am.
I have in the staffroom, an informal support group that watches out for each other and stands in the gap when we fall. Some of the colleagues have over time become dear friends.
I have a great cabpool that gets me to school in the shortest time possible at the cheapest rate possible, if not for which I would have to wake up even earlier than 5.30am each morning.
The classes I'm given are considerably the more manageable ones, some of which are pockets of haven I can retreat to between tough periods.
3 out of my 10 teaching groups will be taken over by a trainee teacher for the whole of Term 2, something that will never happen to other new-ish teachers.
Within 1 term, I've somehow gained the favor of my superiors who regard me as dependable and competent, more so than others. The benefit of which is that they will cut me some slack when it comes to the nitty gritty and would generally trust me to my own devices.
On the home front, my family has also given me a lot of space. The very understanding sister has extended the grace period for me to squat at her place till I (cross-fingers) find my own by the time the "lease" ends.
In the meantime, I shall unpack the abstract concepts of, "claiming the promises of God" and "abiding in Him" by reminding myself of these 2 verses each morning:
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
1 comment:
See? Apparently, I was quoting Bible with my method of surviving NS.
You? Inadequate? Not by a long shot.
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