The Opportune Time

 The other night I read this verse during my devotions and it seemed to leap out from the page at me:

"I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike..."(2 Sam 17:17)

That was Ahithophel's (seriously, where do they get these names?) strategy for destroying David, and in my opinion, it was a really good one. I truly believe this is how the Enemy works in my life. He isn't like us. He is not impulsive or overeager. Instead, he waits...and waits...and waits... for the most opportune time and then straight up pounces. I am a fighter. I won't give up. But, if I'm tired, and emotionally exhausted and afraid of the future, then all trust in God seems to dramatically dissipate.

Life just isn't always easy. There will be moments of discouragement. And discouragement seems to always be the Enemy's most useful tool in my life.

I am so thankful for this man's influence in my life. And I happen to be lucky enough to call him "Dad". He has taught me so many challenging lessons and still continues to. However, one of the greatest things he ever advised me was, "Jen, don't ever make a decision when you are discouraged." I can't tell you how many times I've heard my Dad say this. And, his words are so valuable, because my feelings, like everyone else's, are fickle and ever-changing.

I lived with my parents for six months this year. At first, I was seriously humiliated. I mean, here I was, 25 years-old, holding no-degree, about to be unemployed, listening to my Dad snore through the ceiling and answering phone calls at 9:30 pm to "check-in". (This would continue each hour until I came home. I actually told my Dad that I was contemplating calling AT&T to block his number from my phone!) The whole situation was such a difference from the past 6 years. Some imagine divorce to be simple; a quick signature on a clean sheet of paper. It's far more complex and life-altering. As much as I "hated" living with Jerry and Christie then, I know I will greatly cherish that time I had with my parents, and I'm not talking about all the free dinners (although, that was seriously, wonderful). There were moments, late into the night, when I came home after working all day, and helping out at Hope Care or whatever I was involved in. Like David, I was weary, weak and afraid. I would cry and say, "Dad, is this it? Has God forgotten me? (Wow, I am being really real here..) Will I ever be married again? Will I ever even trust someone enough for that again? Is my life just completely purposeless now? Dad, I miss ministry, and helping people. What now?"

And in those moments, my parents would remind me of the truth of God's Word. That "no good thing will He withold from those who walk uprightly." That my future was bright. That, I was just tired and needed to go to sleep. And that I needed to eat something and put some meat on my bones, because guys like girls with a little "extra". (Ha, I told you, I'm being real here!)

So, basically, all I'm trying to say is this:
At those moments of weakness, weariness and fear, we must simply stick it out and trust in the One who is all-powerful, never slumbers, and fears nothing.

Oh, and on a side note, Ahithophel hanged himself and David survived. Ha.