Had Any Off Days Lately?
Max Lucado tells the story of when his eldest daughter, who at the time was 13 years old, flubbed a piece she played during a piano recital. He states,
“Jenna went on to become a fine pianist and a wonderful singer. But everyone has an off day. She just happened to have hers in front of the auditorium crowded with family, friends, and onlookers.
The performance started well. But midway through the piece, her musical train jumped the track. I can still see her staring straight ahead, fingers stuck as if in super glue. She backed up a few measures and took another run at it. No luck. for the life of her, she couldn’t remember the next part. The silence was broken only by the pounding of her parents’ hearts.
Finally it did; Jenna’s mental block broke, and she completed the piece. But the damage had been done. She stood up from the piano bench, chin quivering, and curtsied. The audience offered compassionate applause. her mother and I scurried out of our seats and met her at the side of the auditorium. She threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shirt - ‘Oh, daddy…’”
In the off days of life, we can be comforted by the words of the writer in Psalm 4:1…
“Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress! Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.”
The Psalmist tells us that when we have off days, when we have days that the unexpected takes place, we can turn to and trust in our heavenly Father to bring us through.
In this one verse we are reminded that we can ASK (“…when I call to you…”). Also that in asking, we can specifically REQUEST what we need (“…give me relief from my distress…”). We can BELIEVE that God is going to answer because we know that he hears us (“…and hear my prayer…”). We are reminded of this confidence that our father will hear and answer with John’s words in 1 John 5:14…
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
In those “off days,” remind yourself to pray. Go to the Father and ask specifically to meet your need - to help you, pick you up, and get you through. Then rest in the belief that he can do it!