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The Bible is beautiful and widely interpreted and often, sadly, abused by people not careful with their flippant comments out of context. “God will not give you more than you can handle” is one of those not in the Bible but abused kinds of phrases as it actually twists the phrase “God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” which has it’s own faulty interpretations about God tempting and all sorts of other things.

I’m gonna dig my heels in a bit on the God’s given me more than I can bear for a hot minute, though. See, there’s loads of examples of this in the Bible. All over the place people are living out wild stories where they can’t see something through on their own strength, and God finishes the job.

Right now, I’m dealing with more than I can bear, and I’m daily laying things down at Jesus’ feet as they pile up – things like multiple loved ones in the hospital in America last week, multiple suicidal friends messaging me, multiple TCKs reaching out in tears, multiple housing options fall through (no to mention still no guarantees on the long term building project, but I’ll get to that in a minute), multiple young people I care about trying to run away, and multiple people pointing out my mistakes in less than helpful ways.

But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I’m not going to stretch that beyond it’s context. I’m going to lean into the truth that God is the one who’s got this, and I don’t have to be the saviour because a Saviour has been born. I did an early advent celebration for youth group the past four weeks because we wrap up two Sundays before actual Advent Sundays end, and I have to say, I really love the reminder I had each week lighting (twisting the battery in on the plastic) candles balanced in a plastic wreath that was everything and nothing like lighting the candles on the fresh evergreen wreath I picked up at Hieber every year in Germany.

Good news of great joy came into the darkness to say, “I’ve got this.”

This Sunday is the traditional Joy Sunday. The Shepherd’s candle. This news is for everyone – the mess ups and the miscreants included. Me included. I can come in my brokenness and say I’m sorry. I can also come in my woundedness and hear I’m healed.

Michele Phoenix posted on her Facebook a celebration of the home God miraculously provided two years ago, and I was reflecting on Saturday about the wild journey she went on. I remember praying through those years of her monstrous HOA and being amazed at how God swooped in and changed everything over the course of a week. Seven days.

So I started seven days of prayer for my situation. To be honest, I’m too overwhelmed to do the heavy petitioning of every single detail that swamped me this past week, but that’s where Holy Spirit groans on my behalf. I have two interim options on the table that I’m waiting for more information about, but one of them requires using a portion of the money currently being raised to build or buy a ramp. By the grace of God, I’ve watched about $13,000 come in so far of the $56,000 I’m praying for. Thank you so, so much to everyone who’s made a donation. I’m still praying (in my long list of requests) for that remaining $43,000. That’s not on my seven day petition, though, because I set that goal to come in by the end of the year. Also, oddly enough, I’m not even praying to have a guarantee of the new build. Remember, that’s an idea that a few people are praying into, and don’t get me wrong, I’m still praying for what that answer looks like, but for the next seven days I’m setting out a shorter list to clear out the clutter in my overwhelmed head and heart.

Instead of the blanket and unspecific ‘God fix everything,’ I’m petitioning God to have clarity on whether I have an interim or long term option to move into by this time next week. I’m asking to know a move date to plan my packing and know what’s going where (whether storage or with me). And I’m asking for overwhelming peace to carry me through this next month whatever it looks like.

In the midst of the chaos this week, I made some mistakes. I am particularly grateful for the people around me who know me well enough to give me the benefit of the doubt and stay by my side as I learn from those mistakes and attempt to do better. Above all, I’m grateful for the Saviour who shoulders the stuff I can’t bear, when it’s all just too much.

Regardless of my answers from this petition by next week, I know I’ll be safe in the arms of the Saviour who’s carrying the heavy stuff for me.