Getting the Stuffing Knocked Out of You

That, my friends, is what happens to stuffed frogs when Tilly gets ahold of them. It's also a lot like what happens to real frogs when my cats catch them.

This morning when I woke up, I felt really worn out and beat up...like someone beat the stuffing out of me. This is bad news, because friends are coming to visit for a couple days and I want to be energetic.

It's frustrating when you can't get what you want and you have no way to control circumstances. While I don't think God allows us to be whipped around willy-nilly the way Tilly (hey, it rhymes!) abuses her stuffed toys, I do think He knows what we are going through, cares, but also sees the bigger picture and the necessity of some of our difficulties.

When our stuffing gets knocked out, we want to use our flight or fight senses. From past experience, it would seem neither moves God's hand effectively. Instead, we need to get about our business, trusting the exhaustion and frustration to a greater plan beyond comprehension.

It was tempting to lay in bed this morning. Instead, I got up and did what I needed to do. I felt better.

But I did throw the frog parts away, along with all of its stuffing.