The Ugly Cry + God's Perfect Plan And Sufficient Grace

The type of cry you can't explain why the tears are falling. The type of cry that interrupts your prayers, as you struggle to get a full sentence out to the Lord. The type of cry that makes you hide from your child(ren)/spouse/friends because you don't want them to see tears flowing in such a way.

Well, that was me this morning.

As I calmed down from crying and wiped my tears, I asked myself, "Brittany, why are you crying? What had you bent all out of shape this morning? What overwhelmed you this morning? What's going on with you?"

I began to write down some of my frustrations that I know went through my mind this morning.

"I don't feel good this morning. When I finally sat down in the car, I realized I was exhausted and didn't feel my best. I missed a 6 AM prayer call I've been consistent with for the past week. I have this constant minor health issue I've been dealing with that frustrated me this morning. I was sad that I was going to work and my family was going to church. I also questioned this morning, "Am I really okay with the amount of work I'm putting in to be in graduate school full-time, to work full-time, and intern part-time...leaving me working 7 days a week?"

I then created, and filled out this pros/cons list:

The issue I wrote out was, "Am I really okay with working 7 days a week?" because this was most likely the reason for my exhaustion and tears this morning. I then wrote the advantages of working 7 days a week, and the disadvantages. The advantages outweighed the disadvantages 7 to 2.

The next step after creating a pros/cons list for me, was implementing a strategy/action plan. There needs to be a strategy of peace, that involves steps to changing your situation (when the disadvantages outweigh the advantages), or steps to remain steadfast in your situation (when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages).

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 (NIV), "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

I'm praying that whatever is weighing you down (good or bad), that you 1. pray about it and cast your cares onto the Lord, 2. create a pros/cons list to figure out if "it" needs to be removed or navigated differently in your life, then 3. create an action plan for peace in your life.

May you always trust 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV), "Three times I pleaded to the Lord to take it away from me. But he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

What I didn't mention is that I'm so grateful for a hubby, who slowed everything down this morning to say, "lets pray." My daughter proceeded to pray after my hubby, then said, "It's your turn momma." I'm grateful for a family that knows that if nothing changes in the moment, we have a Savior who is always there to cast our burdens and cares on.

I'm believing with you that the Lord himself will guide us as we develop and implement a plan of peace.

Signed, a believer of Romans 8:26-28 (MSG), "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Brittany L Bradley