Woodshed Moments

I feel way to young to be saying the phrase "back in my day", but be that as it may, there used to be an expression of being "hauled out to the woodshed" for your punishment, discipline or correction for whatever brilliantly stupid thing you had done that had caused trouble or difficulty.

As I thought about the events that transpired during my morning yesterday, I knew I had had my brilliantly stupid moment... hopefully not to be repeated for quite a while. I don't know about the rest of you, but I get very anxious, when it comes to having an idea of what reactions I might be facing, while never fully knowing what those reactions might entail.

All this... for stuff that will be forgotten in short time. Probably not in a couple of months (sadly). Perhaps even longer than that. But eventually it will fade. In the meantime, the frustration and disappointment of moments in time that have gone awry create stress, tension and difficult conversations as details and solutions to problems get sorted out.

We experience them in life with others. We experience them in life with God.

Yet, somehow, God's are so much easier in the long run. Why? Because of His grace. His mercies are new every morning. Yours and mine... not so much. Not that new... and surely not that often. It's almost like you'd rather be in trouble with your Heavenly Father more than anyone else, because you know His love is never-ending. Plus, you have the benefit of know, that no matter what, He will in fact work out all things for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We simply need to remain steadfast in trusting and standing on such promises from God. And pray for the interactions with man, that God will intervene and work the miraculous.

Pray, this #associatePastorTuesday, for pastors and leaders experiencing woodshed moments. May they experience the grace of God in new and meaningful ways, regardless of the circumstance. May God give them wisdom and direction in the difficult circumstances they face with people. Pray for a covering, as the plans and purposes of God are carried out, even when things don't look, feel or seem as though God can make something beautiful from it. May their strength and trust in Him be fortified in greater dimensions, from this day moving forward.

For the glory of God. His love for us, too great to leave us the way we are.

- PNC

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