Today on my way to work, I saw a man driving a Tonka truck. Actually, it was a truck with a Tonka sticker on it. I thought, "Aww...that's cool. He's livin' his childhood dream!" It made me reminisce about my childhood and the simple times of playing with Barbies, My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite (yeah, I'm an 80s kid).
I had a brief moment in the car when I thought, "Wouldn't it be amazing to be in the middle of those good times again--times when I didn't even know the meaning of stress?!?"
In today's passage, Job was dealing with far worse than me...but similarly, he longed for "the good old days." Let's take a look:
"Oh, how I long for the good old days,
when God took such very good care of me.
He always held a lamp before me
and I walked through the dark by its light.
Oh, how I miss those golden years
when God's friendship graced my home,
When the Mighty One was still by my side
and my children were all around me,
When everything was going my way,
and nothing seemed too difficult..."
I completely hear what Job's saying (I've thought it, too!). There's a great feeling of confidence, strength and love that comes when you feel like God's taking care of you and everything is coming up roses.
However, I think most of us miss the beauty of life's challenges in the very moments when we experience them. Isn't love brighter in the middle of your darkness? And isn't God's provision (even if it's just your breath itself!) more meaningful in the midst of difficulty? Doesn't His true, loyal friendship stand out when you're lonely?
Maybe "the good old days" are the times you're living now--even in the middle of what feels like a storm. Maybe you're growing and learning. Perhaps your challenge is an adventure that's pushing you toward your purpose.
I honestly don't know. But I do know that God sees, God knows and God loves you--and maybe that's more than enough.
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