Woefully Inadequate...

That is how I'm feeling after today...tired, weary and inadequate.  Today was not my first time dealing with this situation...the first time happened when I was eight months pregnant with E and I had a lady show up on my doorstep at 7:30 at night demanding, "Did you know?"  Thankfully, I was blissfully unaware and had no idea.  So, I sat with her for the next few hours and listened and supplied kleenex, while frantically praying Jut would come home and help deal with the situation.

Today, I got to sit and listen to another lady in a similar situation.  Thankfully, the situation isn't nearly as dire...but the hurt, confusion and anger are still very real and her marriage is in danger.  So, I sat and validated her feelings and was a sounding board for her anger, frustration and confusion.  But seriously, what do you say in those situations?!  Ministers go to school and get classes in dealing with the messy situations of our human existence.  Minister's wives (of which I try not to classify myself in that category...but regardless I am) don't...at least I didn't.  My education solely dealt with children and how to teach them...and if their life was too messy, I'd send them to the counselling office. The problem is I am now part of the counseling office (whether I like it or not) and empathy isn't one of my gifts.  I am very inadequately in dealing with messy life and stupid life choices that I can't fix.

Ugh.  That is how I feel about ministry today.  Ugh.  Stupid people making stupid choices that adversely effects everyone in their sphere of influence.  Selfishness is so short-sighted...but I guess that is the key to selfishness...self.

There is another situation that weighs me down as well...again, one that I have no influence over and can't change the outcome, but I wish for all involved that I could change it.  Life is messy...even in the church.  Sin messes people up and makes them make foolish choices that have adverse effects.  Reality disciple isn't fun...it isn't fun for my children...but it hurts even more for adults because those consequences have lasting results.  .

The answer to all this 'life' is prayer.  I can't make people change.  I can't slap them upside the head and knock some sense into them.  I can't save them from the consequences of their actions.  All I can do to influence them is keep them in prayer.  So, that's the key that I need to remind myself.  People need prayer and I firmly believe that prayer can influence the ultimate outcome in these situations.  So, I guess that means instead of worrying about all these people and feeling inadequate to give advise...or the lack of advise I have to offer...I just need to cover them in prayer.  I can do something...even though I feel that physical violence and just yelling, "STOP IT!" at a few key people might be more satisfying.