Momentary Troubles

Sometimes the little things build up, don't they?  I was watching a movie where a guy was drinking a lot of shots of alcohol and his buddy came up and told him, "You know, a lot of little ones makes a big one!" Funny, but true.

In the last two weeks, we have bought 2 full rounds of antibiotics for 3 infected ears.  Those infected ears have caused 2 kids (and as a result, 2 parents) to lose some valuable sleep. We have spent more than the cost of our monthly rent on auto parts to fix my vehicle. We have been tired (and I admit, I've been irritable) because there has been a lot of work to do. Sometimes, it seems like there's too much to do...

It sounds like it, but I'm not complaining.  I'm really not.  I really do love my life, and currently feel like every single day is a blessing that I am aware of.  In fact, even though we've had some momentary troubles, our whole family (even the kiddos) seems to just roll with the punches.

We have purpose here, and we have work that is getting done. It's refreshing and encouraging and really, truly amazing that God's allowing us to be a part of it.

I've been working on some Bible memory work lately and I've spent some time with one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible--2 Corinthians 4.  I love the message in this chapter about the endurance and strength in the faith that we should have; it is just so encouraging to me!

This verse in particular struck me today:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Now I'm not so sure that sickness and car troubles and fatigue were the 'light and momentary troubles' that Paul was talking about here...but maybe they're not so far off base.  Maybe some of those day to day grinds were what inspired those words--fatigue, opposition to the Word, perhaps sickness too....?

Anyways, this verse still provides me with a smile everytime I read it.  No matter what kind of day I've had, this verse always leaves my heart in a very content place.  Even when Satan spends entire days and weeks trying to take my eyes off the prize, the goal, the end result; he can't. He won't win.

If I live every step of my life in devotion to God, jumping those hurdles that are along the path are only bringing me closer to that 'eternal glory that outweighs them all'.  Even when I'm sick or my body fails physically, inwardly the Spirit renews me each and every day.

Wow.  That.Is.Amazing.