Lord I consider Esther and the price she had to pay, all those women around her and her man; the concubines. I consider Ruth, the loss she had to stare at and still stay. I consider Mary who to travel such a long distance with her belly full of baby. And what do I see in common with all three women? The discomfort of Jesus.
There is a price to be paid to be with a great man and there is a price to be paid to be used by God. The flesh really does die in the process and there’s nothing enjoyable about this; quite frankly, it comes with a great level of discomfort.
Every day, I ask, ‘Help me! Jesus please! Help me! To get this right. I beseech thee dear lord help me to walk through the discomfort’. Surely, it is for a season and for a time, then the baby will come, and there would be a wave that would come over my head and I would be released like nothing ever happened. The Discomfort of change, of maturity in dealing with a hostile work environment, of understanding that what you love is in your hand but what you strongly dislike is surrounding you. Help me Jesus, to do right even in that discomfort; this is my constant cry.
To be honest, somehow, somewhere in recesses of my being I thank God for the pain and for just been generally uncomfortable, happy yes, satisfied definitely, fulfilled gladly, prayers answered on every side but I remain uncomfortable; and it is this discomfort that keeps me leaning on God, where truly his rod and his staff comfort me. Ah! The discomfort is real, so real it chokes, and sometimes it blinds, sometimes it shakes but every day I look back I see ahead of this present moment a stronger version of myself.
Perhaps we should learn from the tech world, there is always a newer version in an upgrade which means cutting off unnecessary element “Is always a good idea” to get ahead, to break forth, to become better, to become stronger, a stronger version of you means there has to be some discomfort. Being stronger is the weakest, softest, most fragile state to be I have learnt that.
I’m believing that, I pray for the ability to teach it as well.