It was a lot of years ago and we were in a tough situation. Details will be spared. Suffice it to say there was a fair amount of misery. Sometimes the looking back whispers, "It wasn't that bad." Sometimes comes the refrain, "It was worse than we knew." This was not good - even in the rear view mirror. In the midst of that season there was a wise woman who spoke to a group of us in similar situations and she said these words, "Sometimes God will allow you to become miserable in a place in order to help you become willing to move ahead to the next place." Please note, "place" does not always mean "place" literally. Most of the time my "place" has nothing to do with geography. In the days, weeks, months, and, yes, years after she uttered that phrase, I found myself coming back to it. Still do. And I have come see the backhanded value of misery.
It's all over the Old Testament narrative. God's people would experience a great, miraculous rescue. Exodus level operations. And they would be praising God and clapping one another on the back. But let them get a few steps over the dry creek bed and the whining commences. They get some serious style points for creativity in the complaint department, though. Melons, cucumbers, onions, leeks, garlic and fish top the list of things they miss. And the drama... "We were better off in Egypt!" Oh, really? Their rear view must have been fogged completely over to have missed a little thing like, say, slavery. But on the cycle goes... the rescue, the rejoicing, the relapse, the rejection, the return, the rescue...... Insert between the rejection and the return a healthy dose of reality-focusing-misery and there is the history of God's people in one big swirling downspout. The clarion call of "We can't stand any more of this!" spurring them/us forward toward the Promised Land.
When we cry, " Uncle!" we are admitting that we can't do this thing any more (insert your variety of hard thing.) There's peace in the surrender - even on the hands-up-stomach-dropping-roller-coaster days. Then, when the flying cart comes to rest in a new "place," we see that misery has propelled us onto a smoother track. Better, maybe. Different, surely. Forward, definitely.
Point. Am I miserable in a "place?" Is it time to let go and strike out for the next? God willing and the creek don't rise, we get the chance to keep on spinning toward glory. Not a dizzy-top whirling out of control - more like a tight-spiral football launched from the experienced quarterback (likely from Alabama) into the waiting arms of The Receiver. Yeah. Like that.
BIG caveat. Just because we are miserable and done with it, doesn't mean God is ready to move us on. Truth here. I have stayed put long after I got ready to go more times than not. Maybe there are still things to be learned. Maybe the lessons aren't yours at all but for someone attached to you. Maybe we confuse discomfort with misery. All that being said, we must stay or go on God's calendar, not our wrist-watch or clock-app.
So today's place is this: Fluffy is miserable and we are crying out. Enough is enough. The misery has done its work and we are ready to let go. Tomorrow, he launches. Tomorrow, he will be received. Tomorrow we will be okay enough. Rest in peace, sweet pup. Selah.
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