Over the many years of my adult life I’ve used several different versions/translations of the bible to read through in my devotional time. As I began this year I thought I’d use one that I was given by Kathy for my birthday in 1992. This was the year before we lived abroad for two years in the countries of Yemen and Turkmenistan. As I was reading today in the Psalms I found several notes I’d written on the sides relating to that experience. The reason I write this is because this awakened me to something I didn’t even realize. In the past 20 years I’ve said numerous times that I haven’t enjoyed reading the Psalms. It is so filled with David and others complaints/pleas to God for help. I would think–why don’t they buck up and tough it out? This, of course, was before I had my personal help from counseling.

Today, as I am reading through the Psalms I find my notes from 30+ years ago that deeply appreciated the Psalms like I do today. Today I’m able to see the issues of man as something to confess and work through with God’s help and with the mentors God puts into our lives. I no longer need to hide them and pretend they don’t exist as I was trying so hard to do when I thought differently about “David and others’ complaints”. I see today that their needs are no different than my own and that I cry out to God just like they did.

God is immensely patient with us (me). How I love Him for this!