Life has a way of taking control of us, and little by little robbing us of the eternal joys of looking upward.  Demands at work, the approval of others in our life, the stack of family responsibilities, getting kids and babies out the door every morning, all of these come together into an ongoing game of whack-a-mole.  The moment we have one item figured out and can feel accomplished, the next one pops up.

This is what life is all about.

I “know” this, but somehow I’m surprised by it.

Just this week I got overwhelmed by the monotony of the day-to-day.  Even though my life is going great and filled with so many joys that melt my heart when I consider them, I felt the burden come crashing down on me with one question “What’s for dinner?”.

Yep – that was the question that unraveled me for an evening.  It of course was figured out.  And now I feel incredibly silly that something as minor as this would rattle me.

I could, probably safely blame this on hormones.  I could say that I just feel a little more crazy because I didn’t take the time to plan like I normally do.  I could even just say that it’s the sleeplessness of still waking up at night with our baby that is starting to mess with my ability to cope.

It probably is all of those things combined, along with something much larger.

The “something larger” is this: my soul grows tired and weary when I can’t see a larger purpose or vision in my life.

We, as Christians must take heart when we become unraveled.  This is not a weakness to begrudge or wallow in.  It’s simply our hearts crying out for something more.

This morning I’m encouraged by this: If God can take everyday fishermen, tax collectors, and prostitutes and make their life worthwhile (through his strength, not theirs) – imagine what he could do if I handed him mine in full?  What if I had the boldness to ask God what more he could do with my life if I surrendered it?  Would he reveal new hopes and dreams and desires that this life could offer? Would he show me how to see purpose in the small things?

Yes, there is purpose and beauty in becoming unraveled before God.  This vulnerability, even in the small minor areas of our life allows him to enter in and create meaning and purpose in areas you’ve never allowed him to be in before. Ask and you shall receive. Let’s believe he is up to amazing things.