Have you ever been so tired of searching that you wanted to give up?
For Saul it was a simple errand: find the lost donkeys (I Sam 9:1-3). One of those mundane tasks that’s a part of life. It was neither exciting nor glamorous. It was simply necessary, the reality of owning livestock. But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere (I Sam 9:4). As searches go, it was unsuccessful…from Saul’s perspective anyway. God on the other hand, wasn’t looking for donkeys. He was making preparations to anoint a king (I Sam 9:15-17).
How Does This Relate to Us
As moms of children with disabilities, our lives are far from ordinary. At the same time, necessary, repetitive – and seemingly endless – responsibilities cram our days. Little, ordinary, routine tasks that make the lives of our kids better. Day in. Day out. In season. Out of season. There is no off switch when it comes to raising a child/children with disabilities. We are always on, and it can get hard. Especially when nothing is going according to plan and we are going from one unsuccessful attempt to another.
Saul searched everywhere for those donkeys. By the third day, he was ready to return home. By now his father would’ve been more concerned about him than the donkeys (I Sam 9:5). The temptation to give up after multiple failed attempts is very strong. But Gal 6:9 says don’t ever get tired of doing what is good because ‘…at just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
So in those seasons of searching, when you find yourself looking for answers…or patience…or direction…or peace…or significance or something else but you keep coming up empty, hold on and hang tight. God’s got a plan. Saul was only looking for donkeys but God was making a pathway for him to become a king.