Feeling like Job

It's very easy to praise God when things are going well, but we are beginning to experience just a taste of what Job must have felt (nothing more than a taste, maybe only an aroma....). We have had an abundance of snow that has made it difficult to get to the cows. We have run out of hay reserves and can't find any at decent prices. We have had 1/3 of our calves die (that's bad when a normal year is only about 5%). Plus, the dishwasher is giving us fits along with our water softener (and we really, really like our water softener). Now, while we are already feeling down , we find ourselves dealing with a transmission on the 4x4, feed pickup that has chosen this moment in time to begin gagging and taking it's last breath. We don't know how much longer it will work for us, but we are really starting to worry. As John sat the other night wondering what we were going to do as we won't have money from bull sales until late March, early April, I couldn't help but wonder what went through Job's mind.

He endured more than we've even begun to fathom, and yet, he continued to praise God. How often do I praise Him when things are going well - lots of rain, lots of grass, an air conditioner that works, vehicles that work, school going smoothly... etc..... How often do I praise God when I burn the bread, have a stuffy nose and just can't seem to get things done? Not often. Now, here I am finding myself anxious about so many things that I just can't control (that's a whole other issue), and am I easily praising God? I must confess, no. I immediately cry out to God, which I know He does want us to do, but I'm crying like a big baby because things aren't a bed of roses right now. Why is it so difficult to cry out to God with a voice that praises Him for all the things I do have? For all the health we are blessed with? With a family that is willing to work hard together? With friends that are willing to offer their hands wherever needed? With a Savior that was willing to lay His life down for mine? How did Job do it?

Did God show Job He loved him more than He shows me? Definitely not. Was Job less materialistic than I am? Maybe. Was Job's a closer walk than mine has been lately? Probably. Or maybe Job just chose to praise God no matter what. Job's walk was probably much closer than mine has been lately, and because of that close relationship he felt with God, Job knew he could trust God to only allow what was best - even if Job couldn't understand how all of those events could be best. Job knew God's character so well, that he knew God would not desire to harm him or hurt him in any way - it goes against God's character. Often, I've lived through difficulties and wondered how it could be best - such as with Caleb. We can look back now and see that it was best that Caleb was not only conceived when he was but born when he was. At the time, though, we simply had to trust. We are now facing another one of those times. We don't know what the best is going to be out of all of this, but we can trust that God's character has not changed. He is still a loving, righteous, just, giving, caring, compassionate God that desires nothing for us but what is best. Maybe what Job did was to make a conscious CHOICE to praise God no matter what - not because he felt like it, but because he knew that was the best he could give to God. That's what we will try to do, too.