I am not offended with You.

Lately... there have been a lot of little discomforts that haven't taken me out per say, but have definitely been "annoyances", if you will.  Things that made me ask the Lord, why these bothersome things have been allowed, and what lesson He's trying to teach me through them.  

The thing is... these things don't seem serious enough to me to be considered a real "trial" or "hardship"... but they're enough to just bring a little discomfort enough to make me somewhat frustrated.  

I would have to say...  that the Lord knows how to push my buttons.  He certainly does.  He knows how to put the slightest discomfort in my life and the littlest frustration to shine light in to who I am without Him.  

It also shines light on how much I depend on the small comforts of life to keep me going.  

I recently read the story of Mimosa, a young Indian girl who heard very minimally of God's love when she was a child and then was brought back into a horrible life in Indian caste culture, and then taunted time after time again... because She continued to put her hope in this God she knew barely anything about.  But through trial after trial after trial, she worshiped this God, and the Holy Spirit taught her of Him.  And when she lost a child, or when her and her children were going without food, and her husband was ill... or when she had no income or when those around her insulted her in the worst ways, She would say to God... "I am not offended with You".  

There are times when i've been through real trials that tested my faith but I knew they drew me closer to the Lord... but it's the little things that sometimes can get me the most and make me most frustrated, asking God, why Lord have you allowed this?  It was really unnecessary... 

...funny though, that the Lord knows the truth: It is necessary, to shine light on the fact that I'm still dependent on these things for my pleasure, my contentment.  I have not yet learned to be content in all things.  But Oh, how great a teacher is our Lord.  whether or not the sun shines tomorrow, can I praise my Lord?  Even if my efforts in the matters of this world turn out to be in vain... can I say praise the Lord!

And it all these things, I have found... it makes me seek Him wisdom more... because I know it is far above my own.  

I was reading in Proverbs 2 today...

"My son, if you accept my words, and store of my commands within you,

turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, --indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." -verses 1-6

No matter what comes my way, big trials or small annoyances to my flesh and my mind... can I truly say "Lord, I am not offended with You"?

Can I say, even in frustration and confusion... "Lord, teach me your wisdom" ?

May this be the reflection of my heart before the Lord.