Have you ever had a day or week that REALLY challenged you?

I mean, sure there is the normal annoying mumbo-jumbo that always happens.

But then – there are those times when you are truly STRETCHED.

Stretched in your ability, your capacity, your trust in God, your faith in yourself and what you can do.

S—T—R—E—T—C—H—E—D

This week, I had a couple of events that really put my obedience to God ability to the test. Things I knew I needed to do, but really didn’t want to.

Wrestling with God

I wrestled with it. I tried to fight. I lost sleep. And it made me think of Jacob as he wrestled with God until morning.

In Gen 32, Jacob was facing a huge challenge. God had told him to return home to the land of his brother, who he had swindled out of his birthright AND his inheritance.

Jacob had done much growing since then. Growing closer to God and away from his previously tricky ways. And then God asked him to face his past.

Jacob knew that he could and maybe should be killed for what he had done in the past. But he (#1) trusted God and (#2) prepared wisely.

He obeyed God in what he should do. Then he sent gifts ahead to Esau his brother. He divided his family into groups in case they were attacked. He divided his assets to make it harder to lose all. He expected the best and planned for the worst.

He put thought process into how he was being stretched and didn’t go through the process haphazard.

Jacob then spent the night alone, wrestling with God.

Late Nights

I pray a lot when I can’t sleep at night. And then I wonder if one of the reasons I stay up at night is because it turns into prayer time! And sometimes, like this week, I wrestle with God.

Is this right? Do I have to? Is there any other way? But God….

Then – I gave in. I did it His way. I stopped wrestling and said, “Yes sir.”

I did what God asked me to do. It seemed hard. I didn’t want to… but I did. And as I walked into my office for the first time that day, I saw a box.

In that box was something that would seem trivial to most, but it was a major blessing to me.

Sugar Scrub

There were three little tubs of sugar scrub.

I usually buy these at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx for $6 each and use about one tub a week. Then they stopped carrying them and the only place I could find to buy them was over the internet in London for $15 each plus international shipping. YIKES! Too rich for my blood!

When I walked in my office, opened the box and saw these – I knew. I knew it was a little sign from God letting me know He was pleased with me. He was letting me know that things would be okay.

I might have stretch marks from this latest STRETCHING. But those marks are also the proof of a birth into a new level of trust and commitment between me and my God.

Have you been stretched? Has there been a sign afterward that let you know you were on the right path? Tell me about it…