“Get ‘em! ” Doreen pounded her fist in the air. “Come on, you can take him!”

Bert had surprised her with tickets to a wrestling match. She sat on the edge of her seat, knees jittering as she watched in anticipation of each of their moves.

One wrestler shifted to his right and pulled the other guy up and over, pinning him down.

The crowd bolted to their feet. Doreen grabbed her purse yelling “Go! Go!” as she began hitting the man in front of her with it, not realizing what she was doing. Bert grabbed her arm to stop his date from any more blows. The man turned around.

“Hey, watch it!” he said.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I got wrapped up in the excitement of the match.”

Bert chuckled.

When my mom first told me this story, I didn’t believe her for two reasons. One that she would even go to a wrestling match. The other? How could my sweet mother ever hit anyone over the head with her purse? She told me the excitement of the match came over her like a schoolgirl getting ready for her first cheerleading event. She couldn’t contain herself.

It still brings a smile to my face and I chuckle when I visualize her in a trance as she brings her purse down time and time again.

Have you ever been to a wrestling match? I haven’t, but I imagine the players in a dance trying to read their opponent before locking in an embrace trying to pin the other player face down into the mat. It takes work to do this.

It makes me think of Jacob wrestling with God as he anticipates a meeting with his brother Esau. He didn’t want to go and was worried his brother would kill him, but in the end trusts God will see him through.

When I heard the devastating news of my mother’s inoperable brain tumour, I struggled and had it out with God. I was angry. I didn’t want her to die. I still needed her. He kept trying to tell me He wanted her with Him. I didn’t like it, so I tried to pin Him down. Again and again. I wasn’t ready to give her over to Him. I loved her too much and didn’t want to say good-bye.

Eventually, He revealed to me that He loved my mom more and I couldn’t control the situation. It was time to let Him take care of her. It was hard and I remember sobbing while on my knees yelling at Him. It wasn’t easy, but I finally gave in and slowly let go. I knew He would be there.

I wrestled with God. He won. Go figure. He knows best. When will I ever learn?

How about you? Are you in a battle with God over an issue in your life? You know He’ll win, so you might as well let go. Take it from me; He will be there for you. Always.

Frustrated, she threw the embroidery needle down. She wrestled with the stitch to get it right. Her brain wasn’t communicating with her fingers. She looked at the girl in the beautiful purple dress. It was to be a gift to her granddaughter. She had to finish it. She picked up her scissors and cut out the stitch. Time to try again. Soon she would be with her Saviour and husband. The anticipation warmed her, but the thought of leaving her family brought tears to her eyes. Would they survive? She knew they had faith. God would see them through.

 

Genesis 32:24 (NCV)

“So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with him until the sun came up.”