If Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries ... Why Am I in the Pits?

IF LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF CHERRIES...WHY AM I IN THE PITS??

Erma Bombeck wrote a book with this title a number of years ago, and if truth be known, some parts of it are really very funny. I was sitting in my office this morning thinking about, well, stuff and my eye caught the cover of our new summer brochure, The Thrill of Victory. The cover shows the silhouette of a man with upraised and outstretched arms and the word I immediately thought of when I saw it was "exuberance." The thrill of something so exciting that he cannot restrain his joy.

My life this week bears no resemblance to that man. I am tired physically and emotionally, so tired that I am on the verge of crying if someone even looks at me the wrong way. If I had time, I'd throw myself a pity party except that I feel like I have no time, money, or energy to do even that. So here I sit - defeated and depressed.

But, you say, you work at America's KESWICK, where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives. You have the opportunity to see God work in so many ways every single day. What have you got to be depressed or defeated about? What, indeed??

And that is my point. I had made plans for a special couple of days off that got cancelled this morning. Instead of taking that change as from God and seeking His direction as to what to do instead, I allowed myself to slip into "the pits." I let my self-pity get the best of me and forgot that my plans were just that - MINE. God had other things He wanted me to do for Him.

And you know what? The funny thing is that those two days were nothing "special" in terms of my life at KESWICK. It was ordinary stuff - the sort of things I deal with every day. Surely God didn't cause my plans to change to stay home and do ordinary things. But the problem here is that I was looking at it from MY perspective, and not HIS. Whatever I do here is not about me, or what I want; it is about Him and what He desires to have me do - for Him. And that, my friends, makes even the "ordinary" special indeed.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us "'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 a hope and a future.'" And His plans for me do not include being defeated and dwelling in "the pits." His plans for me are to be thrilled and exuberant with what He is accomplishing in me and will continue to accomplish in me. I just need to keep out of His way and allow Him to fill me so full of joy and hope that pity and depression have no room at all.

And so today, I say "Thank you, dear Lord, that when I can't, You can!"

Lynn Randall is the Director of Human Resources at America's KESWICK. She is active in her church and is a gifted planner and organizer. She has a real heart for people as evidenced by her care, concern and practical encouragement.