God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle

I know I scared some people on Facebook tonight with the status of, "...is trying really hard to trust in God's plan over mine!" Have no fear - all is well in the house, finance, relationship, friendship, health, etc. categories! Thank you, God, for that! I have been blessed in so many countless ways!



What I was referring to is something that me and some of my other fellow teacher friends heard tonight through the grapevine. I will not go into details, but let's just say that my class this year, though chatty and sometimes difficult, will probably be referred to as my "easy class" next year. If what I heard comes to fruition, I will have my hands full and will surely earn every penny of my salary! But this is not an "oh, pity me!" post. It appears that many of my fellow teachers will be in similar boats. I have probably already said too much as it is, so I am going to stop with the details now! But basically that sums up my Facebook post in a nutshell.



This brings me to my point for this post...



I have always heard the saying, "God doesn't give you more than He knows you can handle." In my youth, I would smile at this, feeling peace and comfort in this fact. I also believed that, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." Again, I would smile and let go a sigh of relief. Yet sometimes it is hard to believe this fully. Sometimes I want to scream, "God, why do you trust me so much?! Would you cut that out for a little bit?!" I have a hard time naturally seeing the good in bad situations. I want to complain; I want to feel bad for myself; I want to curl into a ball and tell God to make it go away. I even find myself questioning my abilities. "I can't do it!" or "I can't handle this!" are phrases I say to myself. Sometimes I even catch myself saying them aloud to the people in my life. I have to constantly remind myself of those two sayings I heard while growing up. If God gives me certain situations in life, I must have faith that He trusts in my abilities even when I do not trust in my own, and He WILL help to bring me through them.



Thinking about the load that God might be trusting me with next year has made me stop and think about what a light load it really is in comparison to other people's loads. He is giving me the gift of children that need me. In reality, this is a blessing. I should be grateful that He trusts me with kids that so desperately need a patient, loving, and good role model in their lives. So therefore, thank you, God! I will do my best to serve you and the people you put in my life as best as I can. I know you will provide me with all that I need, even those skills that I feel I lack.



So enough about me! I typically don't read too many blogs, but I have stumbled upon three that have been very inspirational for me. I found two through websites of teacher friends, and one through one of my VERY old friend's blogs.



The first is a blog written by a teacher in her 30's who carried a baby to full term and lost him after only a few short minutes of life. I can't even imagine the pain she has felt and continues to feel! God sure trusted her with a lot, and I really admire her ability to continue to trust in His plan, even when something so tragic happened to her. Please check out He Will Carry Me.



The second is another blog about a mother trusting in God's plan for her and her family. She is currently pregnant with conjoined twin girls, Hope and Grace. As of now, the fate of the girls is unknown. Yet when you read this blog, it is so apparent that Luci has placed all of her faith and trust in God's plan. It is refreshing to see someone turn such a scary situation into such a beautiful journey. Please check out The Klare Family Blog.



Finally, I became hooked on the CaringBridge Page of a girl I never met named Meredith. She was friends with some of the girls I teach with, and after a long fight with colon cancer, God called her home last Spring. Her words, her fight, and her MIRACLE remain very inspirational for me. I must admit that I don't think I could remain as trusting in God's plan if I were in Meredith's shoes. Please check out Meredith's CaringBridge Page. If you have time, and want to get the "full effect" of just how amazing this girl was (and I'm sure continues to be in Heaven!), go to "Journal" at the top, and then sort by "date ascending." Her story will touch and inspire you!



So as you can see, I sound very silly for worrying about God's plan for my class next year. I should instead thank Him for the gift of working with His children. There is always someone, somewhere, walking a much rockier path than I!



I am grateful for...

1.) God's plans, no matter what they may be.

2.) Volunteering with GoCincinnati on Saturday, even if I have to be there at 7:30 AM!

3.) Good friends and family that stand by you through all of life's seasons.