Stepstools

I have a step stool in every major area of my home. I am short - vertically challenged :) and step stools make my life much easier. I have a wonderful girlfriend who has none in her home to speak of. She is tall -  vertically blessed :) and so is every member of her immediate family. At my last visit, no one lived in her humble abode who was shorter than 5'9" and step stools are simply not a necessity for them. Ladders are important as they have cathedral ceilings in their home and light bulbs still have to be changed, but something like a step stool to simply reach the top shelf of a cupboard or pantry is quite unnecessary in her house.

Now, when I go to visit at her house, I regularly find myself hollering for her or one of her family members to come and get something for the shorty-pants in the room. Thankfully, they are a very congenial group who are very kind to visitors and they come immediately at the insistence of the short person causing a ruckus in the kitchen. They never tease about my vertical challenges in life and simply get me what I need. Have I ever said, "Thank the Lord for faithful friends."? :0)  As wonderful as they are to get things for me, I still find myself wishing for the step stool I keep between my counter and fridge at home when I can't get to something at the top shelf of their floor-to-ceiling pantry.

Do you ever feel like forgiveness is on the top shelf of the floor-to-ceiling pantry of your heart and there's no step stool available? I do. I know what forgiveness looks like and exactly where to find it, but it's just out of reach. Sigh. I can't make my legs longer or my arms able to reach higher. I can't do it without help. I need a step stool. A step stool of faith...

Sometimes I don't feel like I need faith all that much. Maybe it wasn't that big of an offense or I wasn't all that hurt. Perhaps I completely understood the other side of the story and could easily put myself in the other's shoes. Even still, maybe, I could feel forgiveness within my reach and my grip on it was strong. Other times, though it's just different. Maybe the pain of offense loomed big in front of me. Perhaps I did not understand why they acted that way or why I acted that way. Even still, maybe, I had no feelings of forgiveness, only bitterness... just resentment. I needed faith to forgive. As much as I often wish I could do these things on my own and not have to ask anyone for help, the truth is...  

1. I cannot make myself less hurt or bitter, it's not my job to heal wounds and cleanse hearts.
2. I cannot make myself perfectly understand another person, it's not my job to reveal truth.
3. I cannot make my grip on forgiveness stronger, it's not my job to be all powerful.

 I can reach for the step stool of faith God's Word provides to help me...

1. Ask Jesus to cleanse, heal and set my heart right. (Psalm 51:10)
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to me. (John 16:13)
3. Ask the Father to be my strength when I am weak. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

 I just have to be willing to look for the step stool, sometimes I have to only look past my own hurt and selfishness. It's always there, God is faithful and His strength is perfect. So, look around your pantry, I promise you'll find it. Your step stool might even be a bit taller than mine and help you reach a bit higher, I've still got a lot of work to do and the Lord just keeps adding more steps as I need them, but I'm so glad I have a step stool to help me. The step stool of faith.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

- Hebrews 11:1