Yesterday, I woke in discouragement and despair. Literally drained emotionally and spiritually, I started to walk out the door for my morning work-out. I usually listen to music while I drive (it helps me wake up) but I knew I was in no mood for music. Do you ever feel like that? So bummed that you don't want anything to help you feel better. (Yeah, it's called a pity-party!)
Anyway, my eyes lighted on some tapes my friend Pauline had lent me. They were from Homeschool Conferences in the past. That should help my pity-party, right? Get to listen to all the things I'm not doing right in homeschool. I picked them up and scanned their titles. The first one was on Servanthood. ~OK, I'm not that bummed! Then another title grabbed my attention, "Oops! My Cup is Empty and My Coffee Pot is Broke!"
WOW! I can relate to that! Stuffing it into my purse and grabbing my Low-fat, Protein Shake off the counter, I hit the road and popped the tape into the deck.
At first, all I could do was nit-pick; I didn't like her translation of the Bible. This statement wasn't exactly Calvinistic, you know. And the high-pitched tone reminded me of some silly schoolgirl.
I almost turned it off several times. But, not really having anything better to do, as my car drove down the deserted interstate, I let it continue to play.
Arriving at my workout, (from which I had left bawling the day previous) I mustered a smile and attacked my assignment with much more enthusiasm than I thought possible.
Cranking the car again, the sound of a woman's voice caused me to jump! It was Cindy Rushton still talking. With renewed interest, I began listening to the message again. Somehow, I didn't notice my objections anymore. The lady was speaking from her heart and somehow it felt like she was talking just to me.
Describing 10 years of infertility and miscarriage (which I can definitely understand) Cindy Rushton described her innate need to put on a facade and pretend to be "Superwoman."
I must admit, I glared at the tape deck. Has she been reading my blog posts? But no, this was taped six years ago. She continued to describe the pain that only a mother who has lost children can understand, as well as some of the very things I've been contemplating lately. Such as letting go of unfair expectations and being honest with each other. But most of all, taking our empty cups to Christ and letting Him fill them to overflowing.
Soon, tears were streaming down my cheeks and by the time my car turned into our drive, I was shaking with sobs. I tried to pray, but no words came. Then I was reminded of a precious promise:
"...the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26)
My cup was empty and my coffee pot was broke. But Christ said, "come unto Me and drink!"
"I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived
And now I live in Him."
(Horatius Bonar)
Amen sister! God is good, and faithful to meet the needs of His children, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, but it's always Him.
ReplyDeleteSo blessed to read this, Mary!
ReplyDeleteHi I chanced upon your blog when I searched "Superwoman" and am glad I visited. Thank you for sharing this truth! I thought I was Superwoman and God made me to be one ... until I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer 3 months ago. Praise be to God that my cancer was caught very early and after a mastectomy, my doctor says my chances of surviving past 5 years is 95%.
ReplyDeleteBut now, living with the fact that I am not Superwoman is something I have to deal with. It's hard to say no to people I used to help, hard to be excluded from work decisions, hard to not be able to pull my half of the weight in my business, hard not to be able to carry my toddler for a while longer. This Superwoman has hung up her coat.
But as you pointed out, we are to be vessels. It's when we come to the end of ourselves that God shows Himself strong in our lives.
Thank you for your blog - it has been a Godsend to me today.
Bless you!
Theresa from Singapore
Theresa, I am literally in tears after reading your comment! How humbling it is to think that the Lord can use this weak vessel to encourage a sister all the way around the world! Thank you for sharing this, and I will pray that the Lord will show Himself strong on your behalf, as you look to Him by faith.
ReplyDeleteMany blessings!
~Mary Jo
*His strength is made perfect in our weakness!