Mama Said There'd be Days Like this

Turns out Mama was right - there'll be days like this.  And they ain't fun.

I had a bad day yesterday.  A combination of unresolved health problems, my (warning: digression -very much needed [no matter what the New York Times has to say about over-medication of women for "normal" emotions, there are those of us who cannot live a quality life without them] psych medications) not being quite as effective as they could be, due to the aforementioned health issues - long story! coupled with a [figurative] gut punch from one of my teenagers left me bereft.

It left me bereft, crying, balled up in a fetal position wondering what in the WORLD I was going to do to turn things around.  It seemed pretty hopeless after hours of self-recrimination and hopelessness.

While talking to a trusted friend who told it was going to be okay, she told me that no matter how off the rails it seemed now, that I was doing a good job, and that I was tired, and in need of someone to take care of me for a minute, this (older than me!) chorus to this song popped into my head - Mama said there'd be days like this, Mama said.

Those words brought to me not only a sense of the impermanence of the situation, but also opened up a new dialogue in my head about my own teen and young adult years and the heartache I must have caused my own mother.  I didn't mean to.  I was only trying to find my own way in life - to make my own decisions, but certainly I gut-punched her on more than one occasion.

And guess what?  She's still standing!  She stayed steadfast in her love for me, and no doubt prayed a thousand prayers and shed as many tears for me, though I didn't deserve it, she did it anyway, knowing that there would be days like this and then, at some point there would be days like that.

I am quite content not knowing how long this day will last, as I look forward to days like that.  Days like that being days of victory because I spent some time in the days that weren't as victorious and learned [whatever] I was supposed to, and came out better for the experience.

Lamentations 3:21-23New Living Translation (NLT)
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.

You've got to just - PRAY ON (by Babbie Mason)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agh0uZZ0Bxc

I am a firm and unwavering believer in the power of prayer. That being said, there are times when I pray, and discouragement overwhelms me, because I am still in the midst of [whatever], and it doesn't seem to get better fast enough. It is at times such as these, we are urged to Pray On. God's got [whatever] and we have to trust in his timing and in the answers we receive. We have our instructions, so we let it go, stay on our knees and just Pray On..

~Psalm 4:1New Century Version (NCV)
Answer me when I pray to you, my God who does what is right. Make things easier for me when I am in trouble. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer 

Unanswered Prayer?

I have been thinking a lot about prayer lately.  Probably because I have been doing a lot of praying since I have been ill now for going on six weeks.  I believe in prayer.  I believe that miracles have and still can occur when people pray.  I have faith in a God who listens to each of our prayers and answers them all.  What I am unsure of is how to handle the answers.