If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m frugal. I don’t like the word “cheap,” but you can call me “thrifty” if you choose. I’m not a fan of paying $30 for a tie or $200 for a pair of shoes. I appreciate good deals and do my best not to be wasteful.  

That being said, there comes a point where I grow frustrated at trying to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste from the tube. Sure, I’ll fight it for a while, but before long, I throw the tube in the trash and add toothpaste to my shopping list. There’s frugal, and then there’s over-the-top miserly. I don’t want to be that person. Sure, I might get a few more days out of that toothpaste tube, but is it really worth it?

Over the past several months, I’ve felt more like the toothpaste tube than the user of said toothpaste. It seems that God is trying to access my full potential, and in doing so, He’s squeezing me tighter than I ever thought possible. We have faced more heartache and disappointment in the last stretch than I care to recount. Even now, we face a deadline of tasks that have to be completed before we board the plane for Wales on January 18th. And, if all that wasn’t stressful enough, we’re not even in our own “home.” Nope, the transmission on our motorhome blew nearly seven weeks ago, and we’ve been waiting on the repairs ever since. My aunt and uncle have graciously loaned us their RV for the time being, and we’re so grateful for that. But because the repairs on ours weren’t completed when they were supposed to be, we’re now going to have to make an extra 1,000-mile round trip sometime between now and going to Wales to return their motorhome and pick up ours. Again, I quote my friend, Charlie Brown: Good grief!

We’re so tired. Yes, we’re excited about nearing the end of our deputation and our departure for Wales. But the relentless attacks against our health, energy, vehicles, and mere sanity have taken their toll. Like that tube of toothpaste, we feel we’ve been squeezed up and down from every angle possible. And let me tell you, being squeezed is NOT pleasant.

But I understand that sometimes it’s necessary. Sure, things could go smoothly, and we could float along in our strength, all the while losing sight of the Lord and His many blessings. Or, we could endure the squeezing, knowing that God is only trying to bring out the very best in us. Each trial, heartache, and disappointment is just another way of making us just like Jesus. Though the pressure is unpleasant, we can rest in the fact that God is molding and making us into what He wants us to be.

I’m reminded of the words from an old Southern Gospel song, “Lord, it hurts, but You’re still God.” This is what I cling to. When I feel I cannot take another squeeze, I remember that God is good and is working all things in my life for the good. I can trust Him, and even more than that, I can be thankful that He cares enough to work so hard to access my full potential. He could have given up on me long ago. But, no, He continues to squeeze, to work on me, to make me better. And, for that, I’m grateful.