Just one of THOSE days...

So two days ago, I was just having one of those rare and unpleasant days when everything just seems to be going wrong (seems to be the theme of the entire week, to some extent, by the way). What was wrong? A few things... here goes.

I'm currently working as a summer undergraduate researcher at one of the labs here at Caltech, and this week stuff in lab just don't seem to be working very well. Yes... frustrations! As if that weren't enough, family issues come up... aaagain. To me, one of the most irritating feelings in the world is helplessness... the whole-hearted desire to do something, yet can do absolute nothing, given the circumstances. And on top of that, the burden that I was carrying in my heart (as mentioned in previous post) was eating away at me, without me knowing. And the final straw for me that night? This is silly... just goes to show how something so trivial can be blown out of proportion depending on other stuff that's going on. I was trying desperately to print out a 44-page article that I had to read for research that night, but none of the printers I tried worked. Yes, lame. I get it. Basically, nooot the best of days.

I just needed to get away from it all, so I took refuge somewhere quiet, looked up at the starry night sky, and listened to the sounds of the running water. I tried to pray, to talk to God, but nothing was coming out. So I was lying there fuming in rage, just grunting and grumbling, annoyed and angry and how badly the day went. Thoughts were zooming through my mind one after the other, questions, frustrations, complaints, worries, doubts, all flying at super speed inside my head.

So how did I get through it?

Romans 8. Yup. Here...

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. (Romans 8:26-27)

That explains the indescribable sounds coming out of me when all else fails! Nice to know even if we ourselves can't find the words to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes, and God still gets the message. Awesome!

What about everything that goes wrong? What about all the stuff I feel so helpless about? What about the future? What about this, what about that? I'm a perfectionist, and my tendency is to always have everything under control. Problem is, that's impossible. One of the toughest lessons to learn (and I'm speaking from experience) is that of trust... of letting go... of letting Him carry me through, no matter what comes my way. Difficult? Very. But check this out...

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28)

What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31)

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. (Romans 8:38)

Wonderful! Comforting words of promise. Alright, I admit, sometimes I forget all about these, and that when fear, doubt, and worry enter my mind. But then, so what if I don't know what my future holds? I know my Dad does. I can only see what's right in front of me. He sees the big picture. What's there to worry about?

P.S. As for the comment I made in yesterday's P.S., check out Romans 8:15. Need proof? It's right there. Thanks!