Musings and Memories
By Doug Dezotell
Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? Do you ever have a “pity party?” I have.
I know that we all go through tough times, and rough times, and sometimes we may even feel like giving up.
One day I was dwelling on some negative thoughts, thinking about all of the troubles I’ve had in my life over the years. You know, “feeling sorry for myself.” I was pulling into the parking lot of CVS with my head full of “stinkin’ thinkin.’”
I noticed this real nice old blue pick-up pulling in about the same time as me.
When the driver got out of the truck I noticed that he was walking with the help of crutches. I told him that I really liked his truck. From there we struck up a conversation and he told me about his life.
He had recently been in a bad accident and he broke his back (that was the reason for his crutches).
He then told me that his teenage son had just committed suicide. And he and his family were really having a hard time dealing with his death.
But, then he started praising God for all He has done for them.
Boy, did I feel convicted, and I immediately asked God for forgiveness.
I had nothing to complain about in comparison to him.
I asked God to forgive me for feeling sorry for myself, and I started praying for my new friend.
We all go through hard times. Maybe a family member gets arrested. Or you lose your job. The bills are piling up, and you don’t have the money to pay them. Your friends or family stab you in the back. Your marriage starts to crumble.
Or the doctor gives you a diagnosis that you don’t want to hear.
I remember the day I was told that I needed to have open heart surgery because I had five almost completely blocked arteries going to my heart.
The was hard news to hear. But we don’t have to go through any of those things alone.
We need to cry out to God. He is always available. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Look at Psalm 120:1: In my distress I cried to the Lord and He heard me.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words in Romans 8:26-28:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[a] with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…..
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is He who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No matter what we are facing in life, we do not have to face it alone. And nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
And God will never QUIT on us! Other people may give up on us, but God will never Quit on us! Look around you! We all have our own struggles!
The Apostle Paul experienced hardships and heartaches over and over again, but he never gave up; Because he knew “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Paul knew what it was to suffer, to be hated, to be persecuted…And yet he knew what it was like to trust God. He wrote in Romans 8:31: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
We need to remember that God is on our side! If you are going through those tough times, Cry Out To God! Remember the psalmist said, “In my distress I cried to the Lord and He heard me.”
And He heard me! Time and time again I’ve cried out to God and He heard my prayers. God is on our side! And God will never QUIT on us!
Doug Dezotell is the pastor of Cannon UMC. He is a hopeful columnist for the Bedford County Post; and he is a hopeful husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. He can be contacted at dougmdezotell@gmail.comm, or call him at 931-607-5191.
