Dealing with Despair
Keep a cool head. Stay
alert.
The Devil is poised to pounce,
and would like nothing better than to
catch you napping.
Keep your guard up...keep a firm grip
on your faith.
1 Peter 5:8-9a
One
morning I received a call from one of my daughters – in complete despair. Through quiet, swallowed sobs, she stated
that she was not going to be able to continue in graduate school. She just “couldn’t do it!” She had taken a test in one class that was
supposed to be over Chapters 1-4. The
test had also included Chapter 5, which she had not studied for. She just “knew” she had failed.
To add
insult to injury, she went to the test in her other class, where a note was
posted that all computations must be done “by hand.” Unfortunately, how to do it by hand was not
covered in the class lectures or notes.
Again, she was sure she had “failed.”
I spent a few moments reassuring her that she could indeed “do it,” and
urging her to wait until she actually received her grades for those tests
before throwing the baby out with the bath water. Sure enough, she called back the next day
sounding much relieved. She had just
received her grade for the first test, and she scored an 89 – hardly a failing
grade.
The
devil loves to throw mountains of discouragement and despair at all of us –
choosing just the right moment when we are most vulnerable. Hanging on to your faith and your belief in
yourself can be tough when everything seems to descend on us at once. Taking the time to converse with the One who
watches over us every second of every day can go a long way toward getting us up and
running again. Cast all your cares upon
Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
*
Cast thy burden upon the Lord
And He shall sustain thee.
He will never suffer the righteous to fall.
He is at thy right hand.
Thy mercy, Lord is great,
And far above the heavens.
Let none by made ashamed
That wait upon Thee.
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