Isaiah 43:18-19 — Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
I was so frustrated I was about to scream.
So dramatic. I know.
But I was scrolling my phone, and I could not take it anymore.
I’m talking about how so much “mom content” online is so unnecessarily emotional and sad. Like, “Oh, you’ll miss breaking your ankles on these Legos. So don’t blink. They grow up fast.”
Yes, I know there’s some bittersweetness to that, but it’s like people want me to be sad all the time that my child is growing up.
No way. I refuse. Healthy things are supposed to grow.
But there I was — complaining about it again. Frustrated, again.
I felt the Lord gently pressing on my heart telling me, “Bri, do something about it or quit complaining.”
I didn’t love that…but it did get me thinking. I sat with the Lord for a minute, and I told Him, “You’re right. If you want me to start something that can actually encourage new moms, I will.”
I don’t have it all figured out. But I know this: I don’t want to live stuck in complaining when God is calling me to make a difference.
Maybe it’s time to stop circling your same frustrations too. Replaying those same worn-out thoughts never helps, so instead pay attention to what God is doing. He is always doing something new. Sometimes the new thing God wants to grow starts when we stop dwelling on what frustrates us and start paying attention to where He’s leading us.
Even here, even now… And I’ll miss what God wants to do through me if I stay stuck in complaining.
Maybe you’ve felt that too—frustrated, worn down, catching yourself complaining over things others do that you just don’t agree with.
I know you want to scream, but move into faith. Go from complaining to action because it could be that the very thing you’re tired of seeing is the very place God wants you to make a difference.
So, step in. Speak life. Build something better.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Is there an area of your life where you’ve become stuck in frustration or complaining?
- Could God be using that frustration to show you where He wants you to make a difference?
- What “former things” might you need to stop dwelling on so you can notice the new thing God is doing?
- How can you move from criticism to encouragement in your everyday life?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to “build something better?”