Do you ever get the feeling that you should be somewhere else in your life? Perhaps your job or your relationship or your living arrangement just isn’t working out the way you’d like and your response is to leave or change direction. In some cases, that may be necessary (especially if you feel this on a constant basis or there are extenuating circumstances); but for many of us, it is a feeling that comes and goes depending on the day. And in some cases, it is impossible to leave at this particular time. What do we do when life overwhelms us?
This phrase, “Lord, It is good that we are here,” said by Peter is something we should continue to pray especially when we feel that where we are currently just isn’t working out for the best. The Lord is wherever we are, but we need to remind ourselves of that from time to time. The place or the space is good when we remember that God is with us. Sometimes, God puts us in a particular place or situation to teach us something. Other times, God wants to use us as his instrument to teach others. So, wherever we are or wherever we go, God is present.
Abram trusted God when he told to go “to a land that I will show you.” Abram thrived in the land of his kinsfolk and he thrived even more in the land where God sent him. And both were good. Wherever we are, we need to remember that God is with us. And that makes it good. From time to time we may find that the place is not to our liking or that things simply are not working out. In those experiences we need to trust and have faith that, like Abram, God is with us on the journey. This can be difficult especially when life is overwhelming and pressures are mounting. At that point, stop. Focus on what is truly important. Remind yourself that God is in charge and nothing will separate you from God’s love. Trust that everything will work out in God’s time and according to his will.
During those challenging times, ask yourself, “How is God using me at this particular moment in time?” and “What does God want me to learn from this experience?” Pray that phrase of Peter, “Lord it is good for me to be here. I don’t know what my purpose is right now, but use me as your instrument to bring about your goodness and your will.” Allow the space and place you are currently in to transform you more into the image and likeness of God. Allow the experience to be a Mount Tabor experience for you. Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of what life would be like in paradise. Yet they still had to return to the world which eventually led to Jesus’ crucifixion. In the midst of our worldly experiences, know that God is with us and life does get better, if not in this world, certainly in the next.
