Wisdom for When We’ve Had Enough

Many of us can relate to Elijah in the first reading. Sometimes we reach the end of our rope in frustrations that come with living day to day. 

My hometown had four tornados blow through the area this past Tuesday. A large percentage of people were inconvenienced with no power, damages and trees down, local businesses out of commission, major roadways cut off or with no working lights, and a few days of hot and humid weather. It’s taking longer than expected to restore power. 

When I heard that first reading, it seemed to me that many people in our region would be able to relate to Elijah’s sentiment today, “I’ve had enough!” After a few days of no electricity, I think many of us would be saying the same thing because our lives practically run on being "charged up."

Frustrations happen. Inconveniences happen. Interruptions happen. Life will not always go the way we expect. It helps to remember this in times when life is mounting up troubles, lest what we can’t control starts to control us and leads us to anger or despair. 

There are a few things we can do when faced with these trials:

• Prepare. God gives us warnings and wisdom to help. Prepare for what you will do in contingencies so that perhaps you suffer less in these situations. Ready yourself for the unexpected, should it happen.
• Flex. Sometimes you have to flex to the situation and make the best of it. Reframe it as something positive, or turn it into something positive that is life-giving and not life-taking.
• Talk to God. Recognize that God is with you in the troubles. Speak to Him about them. Express what you’re feeling. Ask for what you need. He doesn’t abandon us when we need Him most and will respond.
• Recognize how God is sustaining you. God sustained Elijah and gave him sustenance to regain his strength to carry on. He will do the same for you. Look for the ways God is sustaining you through the trial and providing for you.

Like Elijah, God will meet us where we are in our frustrations and when we’re fed up with life. May we be given the grace to recognize the ways in which God is helping us and sustaining us through the interruptions, inconveniences, and unexpected trials of our lives.