Anyone Can Dig a Hole But It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home

So, as of late. I have been feeling this helplessness of sorts. I am here, in North Carolina, in Lexington, in my house. The people I care about are not in those places. I want to be able to help them with things, be there for them when things happen, encourage them when they face problems. I feel like I can't. I know that there are ways around all that and maybe I am not exhausting my resources. When a lot of people face something hard, have something troubling, they turn to this verse:

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

But I have been looking at the verses around that.

Philippians 4:10-14
10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 14Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

This passages has taken a few different forms for me in the past couple months. While I was in Kenya, verses 11 and 12 were really important, being content in all situations, in abundance and in need. The process of learning that was an interesting one, ask me in person sometime to explain it. The experience gave me a new appreciation for the song "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman here are some words:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Really the song didn't mean all that much to me before Africa. Now I have a whole new perspective on what it all means. In abundance and need. The bridge of the song, You give and take away, You give and take away, My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name, is really striking to me now. God knows what He is doing. He gives, He takes. His wisdom is infinite. He takes something I want, or even something I love, who am I to argue? Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God knows what He is doing. Blessed be the name of the Lord, whether in abundance or in need. Blessed be the name of the Lord whether He gives or He takes. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Back to the passage in Philippians. Now verses 10 and 14 really catch my attention. The Philippians cared for Paul, and he didn't need them to fix everything, he rejoiced at the fact that they cared. In verse 14 "Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles." He didn't need someone to have a instant fix, he needed someone to have concern. This makes me see, and I hope this applies to you, that I don't always need to be able to fix everything. I don't always need to have an answer. But I do need to care about those around me. I try to do that the best I know how, and that is all that we really need to do. Honestly, we don't have the strength to fix our lives, much less fix others. But. As the verse 13 or Philippians 4 famously says, I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Our strength from Christ. In Christ alone. So we don't need all of the answers. We just need to love and care for others as Christ loves and cares for us. I have no reason to feel helplessness. The people I care about are in the hands of the one and only God. God knows what He is doing. Not just for me, but for my loved ones too. It comes down to trusting God. Hope that applies to you all too.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

A selection from August Burns Red's song "Meridian" from the album Constellations:

The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert. [Jeremiah 31:2]
I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. [Jeremiah 31:4]
I am the painter making this mess a masterpiece.
I will rebuild you up again.