Thrown Under the bus? Get up and Drive!

Unfortunately, I love pity parties. I used to invite everyone I knew to spectacular celebrations where I would criticize myself, my family, various authority figures, and the list goes on. I had good cause to complain. The list of unfair blows life had dealt me could have taken days to recite. Looking back, I have to wonder if anyone desired to be exposed to such continual negativity. Now, I try to be more upbeat and circumspect—even though my life is still full of continual setbacks.

I see many weaknesses in myself. The good news is that God doesn’t call the able; He calls the willing. He doesn’t want us to worry about what we cannot do because his grace allows us to accomplish miracles. I have seen many wonders despite my inadequacies.

A Google+ Community

I am a member of a group on Google+ that is, frankly, way more time consuming than I expected. The list of expectations is long and confusing. Quite a few members moan about the requirements.  They feel their hectic lives don’t allow for full participation in the community; they’re busy and overwhelmed. Personally, I could tell them what “busy and overwhelmed” truly means. I fulfill the expectations of this group only because I push through chronic illness, fatigue, and whatever else I’ve got going on. Incidentally, my reward is the support of fellow authors who promote my book and blog on social media. We receive what we give.

Elijah, the Prophet

Let’s face it: he suffered from depression. In 1 Kings 19:4 he sits under a juniper tree and requests an end to his earthly life. In verses 5-7 an angel comes down to remind him to eat. In verse 9, he goes to live in a cave.  In verse 13, the Lord asks him why he’s in the cave. Elijah voices his complaints. What does God do? Does He come to the pity party? No! In verses 15-18, the Lord tells Elijah to get up and get back to work. He needs to anoint a new prophet and a new king, among other duties. Elijah is too valuable to indulge in depression.

My Conclusion

We are all too worthwhile to hide in a cave. There’s a life of productivity out there for everyone. The fact that we all operate at different levels of efficiency is irrelevant.

None of us is forced to languish under the metaphorical bus. All of us are capable of getting up. If you’re the parent of a school-age child, you know how challenging driving a bus is! Some of us may not be up to driving the bus; but, that doesn’t mean we must stay under it.

How have you “gotten up” to “drive”?