Down and Up again

I'm at that point where I feel like giving up, have no idea what I'm doing, have lost the passion for what I am fighting for; basically just feeling that life sucks. Big time. I'm just tired of everything and I always wish I could go back to when times were much simpler, less stressful, and when life was more in control. Or was it?

On Sunday, the church bulletin had a note from the pastor. It was such an uplifting short (but definitely sweet!) write-up. I was reminded that I was not the only one who has had horrible time down in the dumps. The verse he quoted was 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 in which it says

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (NIV)

Certainly, God does give us comfort! And many times I ask God why I have to go through times like these. It is through times like these that I am able to use it to glorify God, as it later says in chapter 12 verses 9-12.
I can also use my experience and the comfort I received to comfort others when they are feeling the same way.

The pastor also brought up Psalm 42.

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

I can see how much it reflects my life at the moment! As the psalm suggests, I will put my hope in God and will still praise him! "Blessed be Your Name" by Matt Redman also reminds me to bless the Lord in every circumstance.

It is a great reminder to submit everything to God and trust that He will bring me through it!

Praise be to God!

Although I still feel like it's pretty unmanageable, I believe that I will be guided and led by Christ through this storm of life.

:)