A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must git it this soul.
~Pope John Paul II
The Gypsy Mamaoffers a fun and creative way to write on Friday's, when your done here, head over there and challenge yourself! The goal is to write for 5 minutes on a given topic freely, without editing or pretext, just to write to enjoy!
Topic:Community
START:
Many years ago, when I was a young mother, my then pastor's wife talked to me about what it meant to be part of a community and how I could rely on my church family to help me raise my child.
At that time, I didn't feel the sense of community and certainly didn't understand what it was she was referring to. I felt alone and struggled alone. While the church was great in many ways, there definitely wasn't a sense of community. I believed then that "Community" in the church was just a made up term to try and connect it's members.
Since then I have found a new church. One in which the sense of community is so strong and so present that I get what she was saying then. I have also learned, for me, community is a loose term for Family. For that is what the members of the church have become to me, Family.
I no longer struggle alone, raise my children alone or worship alone. No matter what needs I have, I have someone with whom I can seek for guidance, support, love or encouragement. And on the other end, I can provide those same things to the other members of my community and family.
Community is real and it's important and without it, I wouldn't be where I am today. I am beyond grateful.
STOP:
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Today's Prayer/ Praise: Thank you Lord for this community you have given me and my children, for this extended family, for the encouragement, inspiration, education, love, purpose and home. Without them, Without You, Without Community, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Lately I have been feeling overly frustrated, unaccomplished and just plain low. These feelings have been a constant struggle for me to pull out of and I am exhausted.
I am particularly frustrated God's purpose for me. I am not sure if I am deaf to what he is saying to me, or just plain stupid, but I am lacking direction from Him. This is so frustrating for me because I am left living in limbo, without direction and purpose and constantly feel as though every thing I am doing, I am doing wrong or am not supposed to be doing.
As I child, I could discern God's voice clearly in my head from all others. I knew exactly what was wanted and expected of me. There was no question, there was no doubt, I knew when I had pleased My Father and when I did not exactly please Him. I felt as a child, I had purpose. I have not felt that purpose for my life, since I was a child.
I know that I blocked God's voice in my life in my teenage years. As I got older, the natural relationship I had with him became strained, as I started to care what other's thought. As a teenager my family didn't go to Church, I occasionally went with friends, but they were "forced" to go, so I could never let on how excited I was. I stopped caring what God wanted, needed and thought of me, and started caring what my friends wanted, needed and thought of me. I began to ignore God and then eventually learned to block all communication from God.
For many years, this didn't really bother me. I still tried to live "right", to be kind, courteous, respectful, to not break the law or the "rules". But always something was missing.
As I got older, I began to realize what was missing was that personal closeness and relationship with God. I began to long for that relationship with God again. I began to pray more, read the bible here and there, attend Church here and there, but still I couldn't hear Him. I began to doubt I ever had a relationship with him and fear that I blew the possibility of ever having one again because of the choices I made as a teenager.
I have grown much more these last few years and I know God has forgiven me, hears me and answers prayers for me, yet I still can't hear HIM. I am still struggling to gain my footing and direction from Him. I know enough to know it's me, not Him that is causing this blockage. That I still have not torn down the barriers put in place by my teenage independence all those years ago. I hope that soon, I can break down those barriers and live confident with God directing my life.
Psalm 63:1-8
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Dear Father,
Thank you for the opportunity to come before you and ask for forgiveness, thank you that you lovingly grant that forgiveness. Today I seek your forgiveness for pushing you out of my life as a teenager. I ask that you help me break down the barriers I built up, so that I could no longer hear You. I ask that you help me push through those barriers, so that we can, once again, have the relationship we did when I was a child. So all doubt, fear, worry, anxiety and confusion can be swept away and my life will have stability and direction through You.
~In Jesus Name
Friday, April 20, 2012
Today's Inspiration:
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
~Martin Luther King Jr.
I have not done a 5 minute Friday in quite awhile and today I thought I would challenge myself. The purpose is to write on a specific topic for 5 minutes straight. Not to worry about grammar or structure, but to enjoy the process, so here goes for today:
TOGETHER:
START:
Together with my children and family, I hope to one day make an impact on the world we live in.
I hope to instill into my children values that include looking outside of their own comfort and desires and to reach out to others who have needs greater than their own.
I hope that with my children I can leave a legacy behind that will continue to have an impact on the world.
I hope that my children will appreciate the efforts that I am trying to make to ensure they grow up not to be just good people, but GREAT people.
I hope that by giving to others, we will have full hearts and full lives. No regrets and no hang-ups.
I hope that working side by side to improve not just our lives, but our neighbor's lives, our community and our world, that we will form a bond that will be impenetrable to the outside world.
I hope that my children will learn to love and accept all that I am trying to teach them and together with their future spouses and children, they can take it to the next level.
Together with determination and love, hope, guidance and desire, we will make a difference and leave an impact.
Darkness can not drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate can not drive out hate; only love can do that.
I am not sure where these feelings deep down within me are coming from, I feel as if I am slipping into the darkness again and out of the light. It's scaring me.
I am suddenly overcome with overwhelming feelings of despair, frustration and fear and I really can not pinpoint anything in my life that would cause those feelings. I also feel much sadness.
I am not particularly fond of these feelings and the old me wants to assume that my life is about to fall apart. I am exhausted from fighting the all consuming negative feelings that are desperately trying to root in my conscious and overcome me.
The darkness that is enveloping me is causing me to look around every corner, behind every tree and imagine every worst case scenario I can, which is damaging enough, because I am still healing from the past two years and the memories of those two years are enough to send me reeling back to the darkness if I let them, I don't want to let them. And maybe what I am going through is as simple as that, fear, that the sunshine in my life is only temporary and that soon I will be thrust back into the darkness that I can not control.
Whatever is bothering my conscious and holding me back, I can't overcome alone, so if you read this post, please pray for me to remain in the light of God's unending love and that the darkness that is threatening to overtake me will not find root.
Jeremiah 13:16
Give glory to the Lord, your God, before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble on the darkening hills......
Today's Prayer
Dear Father~ I have been struggling the last few days with feelings of fear, despair, frustration and an overwhelming feeling of doom. I know that what is of You and from You are not of the darkness and that only You can lift me up from this pit. I lift myself to you and ask that you calm the raging storm of negative feelings within me and help me return to the shore intact and into Your glorious peace and light. I praise all that you have done in me and my life and all that you will continue to do. I praise You also, that regardless of what happens in my life, You will be there by my side, to get me through.
I asked Jesus ... "How much do you love me " And Jesus said ... "This much." Then He stretched out His arms and died. - Unknown
I just finished the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I realize that many people jumped on this Crazy Love bandwagon about a year or so ago, when I originally bought the book. I however, did not read the book until recently when I downloaded it onto my kindle (favorite gift ever).
It was a long wait in getting this book read and finished, but it was so worth it. Whether you have read the book a year ago or never heard of it, if you desire a deeper more substantial relationship with God, this book is a must read.
Francis Chan explores the average Christians relationship with God in Churches today. Throughout the book Chan encourages Christians to explore their relationship with God at the level it is currently and encourages them to push deeper into that relationship, citing examples in the Bible and of others who have exceeded the boundaries in their calling and relationship with the Creator.
While reading Crazy Love, I was forced to take a good hard look at myself and my personal relationship with Christ. Throughout this book I realized that I had a lot of work to do in myself and in my relationship with God. I have put many suggestions in the book into play and anticipate reading the book again, a year from now to see where I have grown and where I still need to grow and encourage everyone to read the book at least once.
Francis Chan also included a video series to get you thinking deeper about your relationship with God for each chapter of this book. These are also well worth the time it takes to check them out. I have attached the introduction to crazy love at the bottom of this post!
Below I have included links to the book on Amazon and to the ebook, which is 2.24 on Amazon, not a bad deal to help grow your relationship with God.
The above links are for the book or ebook.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
After the writer's death, reading his journal is like receiving a long letter.
~Jean Cocteau
Just a little over two years ago, I began to faithfully keep a journal, which in a short time became a prayer journal. I recently pulled the early journal out, in the hopes of transferring them here and was astounded by the amount of pain that came through on the pages, it was clear that during those early moments I was not only in a lot of pain, I was also confused and very self-centered in my prayers. Much of those early writings, when things first happened, were an excellent reflection of my life, they were confusing and made very little sense, jumbled and hard to understand.
As I flipped further through the journal(s), I began to see God's hand in my life, even through the torment, fear, and uncertainty, I began to see where He was in control of my life and how I was growing through the trail I was in.
As I flip even further to more recent postings, my growth has become more centered and more apparent as I read those pages. I am also able to see not only where God has been working in my life, but also where specific prayers have been answered.
In a strange way, going back through those old journals and seeing where I was and where I am now, has helped me heal some of the old hurts and calm some of the underlying fears that I didn't realize were still burning within me.
It's helped me as I struggle right now with letting go and Trusting God to see where He has been working and answering those prayers and renewed my spirit to let go of these things I am afraid to release control of, for in my journals, I have irrevocable proof that God will handle it all.
Psalm 50:15
And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you and you will honor Me......
Today's Prayer
Thank you Lord that you are there for us to call to in our moments of trouble, thank you that you rescue and renew us in moments of trail. Thank you Father that you hold us steady when our paths are uneven. Thank you that You will always love us and never leave us.
~In Jesus Name
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Today's Inspiration:
People need loving the most when they deserve it the least.
~John Harrison
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves is born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love.
It sounds so easy, just love each other, as Jesus loved us. But, wow, loving others, it is so incredibly difficult, or maybe it's just hard for me. I truly want to like everyone and strive hard to love and show love to everyone I meet, but I find it so incredibly hard at times, and when it gets hard, I feel failure.
1 John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
As we go out and about in this world and meet various people, some people are so incredibly easy to love. They just have such loving, kind and agreeable personalities that you want and can't help but to love them for all they are. They are also the same people that you can't wait to be around again. And they make us feel good as Christians, cause we pour our love out onto them and into them and around them with no problem.
Hebrews 13:1
Let brotherly love continue.
When you come across the opposite people, the disagreeable, conceited, arrogant, cruel, mean and hateful people, it is definitely a whole different ball game. It's so incredibly hard to love people, who come across as very unlovable. But THIS is the challenge Jesus calls us to with the most passion.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
It's not that he doesn't want us to love ALL people, but he challenges us with the difficult ones for certain. If we were blessed to only love the easy and agreeable, there would be no challenge for us. But Jesus calls us to be like him, he had a passion for all people, but He had an extreme passion for the broken, disagreeable sinners and so must we.
So how in the world do we love those kinds of people? We try to empathize with them, try not to assume or judge them and pray, for the ability to love and to lift them up.
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Chances are that many of the hard to loves of this world, didn't ever know love. They probably don't know Jesus and have never been shown anything different from what they are. People truly are products of their environment. If they grow up in homes without love, how will they learn not just to love or what love is, if someone doesn't make an effort to show them and love them? This is what Jesus asks us to do, to step in and show them love, to teach them to love and how to accept love.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
From experience, I know this is so incredibly challenging. I married a man that never knew love. His love was given on a limited basis, his parents rarely ever told them they loved him, hugging wasn't the type of physical contact he received and praise was never given (in their defense, they raised him as they were raised). To love him is hard, for him to accept love, is even harder. It's a vicious triangle, but over the years, he has broken down some and while loving him today is still hard, it's getting easier, especially when I keep in the fore front of my mind, the conditions to which he grew up and the fact that love was not given openly and freely as it was to me. I persist and I continue to love him, even when he is trying his best to make me hate him, for I am not just his wife, but I am a Christian and Jesus has called me to love. And with my husband, he gave me my biggest challenge in loving.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Loving people is a lot of work and takes a lot of effort for me. It just doesn't come natural. I constantly find myself having to reel back negative thoughts and emotions about the person who cut me off in traffic or the couple at church who despise my child for reasons I do not know, or the crabby customer service agent who is rude and uninformative. I want so badly to give them a dish of their own, but I don't. Instead I pray for them and force the love towards them, and it's a forced effort often. I can't control how people act or who loves me or my children, but I can control how I react and how I love and how I teach my children to love. I can do my part to fulfill Jesus destiny of love for everyone I meet or come into contact with, regardless of how difficult or challenging, I mean if Jesus could lay down his life out of love for us, then I can love all those in my life that make it hard or difficult to love, the family, the acquaintances and the strangers.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Today's Prayer
Dear Father,
Thank you for giving us the ability to love and for making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love. Help me to always have love in my heart for any person that comes into my life. Help me to love everyone as you love us.
Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body.
~Sir Richard Steele
Yesterday I blogged about different things, spiritual warfare, raising teens, praying for your children, etc.
Later I was bothered by the fact that I hadn't mentioned any of the wonderful books that have helped me in the areas I talked about, especially during the new Christian area when I was thirsting for more and anxious to get all the information I could into my brain.
One of the areas I struggled with most was learning to pray. I have prayed since I was a child. Basic prayers, such as Bless this and Bless that and please keep me safe. Nothing much more. As I began to grow in my walk, I began to learn that those basic prayers didn't really mean much, but I didn't know how to pray. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I knew I needed to pray more for my children, but I was so overwhelmed, I didn't know where to start or how to start. I wanted them to be safe of course. I wanted to make good choices and have a relationship with God, but I didn't know what to say or how to voice those desires. So I searched the bookstore and I found this book, The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartain. It's an absolute wonderful book to get you jump started on praying for you children. This is a book I would buy and recommend for baby showers. As I have said before, it is NEVER too late to start praying for your children.
Another book I highly recommend, again from as early on as possible is Satan, You Can't Have My Children, by Iris Delgado. I was recently introduced to this book and have to say, I wish I had had it sooner, but while it is never to early to start praying, it's never to late either.
Finally, for Today, I would also like to recommend The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This book is a good introduction into Spiritual Warfare from a demon's perspective. I can certainly say that it helped me open my eyes to the little things that the devil would do to try and get back into my life. We read this book in my small group and though I was not excited at all about it at first, it has become one of my favorite classics.
Today's Prayer:
Thank you Father, this day for the many abundant ways you give us to learn and grow in Your Word and Your ways, not just through church, group and the Word, but through many authors, who speak and teach so well on Your word.
In Jesus Name
Monday, April 9, 2012
Today's Inspiration
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
~Thomas Edison
I can remember the days as a baby Christian, when I believed wholeheartedly that when I got to a certain point in my walk or when my relationship with God was at a magical point, life would be so easy. All the tough times would be gone and it would be smooth sailing. I am not sure why I thought that, for the bible never said that, maybe it was my ignorance to all the bible said, or just what I wanted to believe, but I have definitely moved out of my infancy in my Christian walk and relationship with God and my life is not any easier, in fact in some ways it's more difficult.
A few years ago I also reached a new level in my life as a mother. My oldest child became a teenager. Slowly this beautiful child that I once understood better than myself was becoming a stranger, until the point this past December, when I realized she was a stranger. It wasn't just the normal changes that were taking place, it was far beyond those. One day there was nothing about her that was the same. Her walk, her talk, her dress, her attitude, her beliefs, her focus, her desires literally everything changed. I realized that I had just entered a ferocious battle of spiritual warfare for my daughter. Something every Christian can expect to enter into at some point in their life.
While my Christian walk had progressed nicely, there were still areas I was new to or green at and Spiritual Warfare is one of them. For those that don't understand Spiritual Warfare (as I didn't), it's basically good vs. evil, God vs. Devil. The devil uses those we love (people, possessions, desires) to keep us from moving forward in Christ and it's up to us to fight him using the weapons God provides in his word and prayer.
In my case, the devil finally found his hole in our hedge and my daughter was his number one target. He has confused and manipulated my child into becoming someone she never was and believing and desiring things which goes against how she was raised and her own personal beliefs. In short he has made my life and my relationship with my daughter a nightmare. He has used my daughter to inflict on me; pain, doubt, fear, despair, anger, resentment and hate and many more negative Satan controlled emotions. While I am a Christian, I also am human and in moments of weakness, those feelings consume me, but only for a moment before I wake up and realize what is happening to me.
During the last 4 months of total despair with my teenager, I have learned one very important lesson; it's NEVER too EARLY to PRAY for your children. I am not talking about the simple, keep my child safe prayers, I am talking about the deep prayers, prayers about friendships, decisions, direction, the good stuff. It's hard to conceive if your a new mom holding a sweet and innocent infant that there would EVER be a time that your child would stray from you or worse, herself and God.
My teenage daughter had always been a good girl, full of life and love. She is now angry and full of hate and darkness. She swears, she misses ALOT of school, she argues, she disobey's, she is mean and hateful. It is terrifying.
I refuse to give up and let the Devil have her or anyone else in my family. I fight every day, armed with the Word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(When I pray this prayer for my teenager, or any of my children or family members, I put their name into it. "Finally, (Name) be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Name) put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes........".)
The hardest part about fighting the fight with Satan for my daughter right now, is that she doesn't realize that she is even being used as his tool to destroy my relationship with God and hers. Trying to get her to listen, that's next to impossible, so all I can do and all I have is God's word and Prayer. But lucky for me, and anyone else in this situation, that's enough.
Psalms 9:9
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
God's word can comfort me and prayer can change it all. No matter how hard it is (and at times it's HARD) or scared I am, I AM confidant the Lord is by my side and that the battle has been won. When the fear, frustration and terror of this situation consume me, or I am weary from the fight, I turn to the Lord and rest in His love, releasing to Him the problems I am facing and trusting Him to handle those problems. In complete honesty, there are days I have to release my daughter and the situation more times than I can count, as something else happens throughout the day or I get the old urge to pull it back and handle it myself. Each time though, it gets easier to do and I move one more teeny-tiny baby step forward.
Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
As a Christian, you and I can expect to be involved in spiritual warfare for the rest of our lives at some point or another. Satan, isn't going to give up easy and life is going to go through some dark valleys, but rest assured that GOD wins and so will we.
I will win this battle against Satan and I will get my daughter back and I am sure Satan will try to then attack another loved one, but I will win that war too. I will win every war that Satan wages against me, for no matter what he does or tries or who he ensnares, I will arm myself with God's word, go down on my knees and fight the fight with the Holy armor of God I have been given.
Today's Prayer:
OH Abba ,
Thank you for blessing me with this beautiful teenager. I am not unaware of what a true blessing she is and a miraculous gift from you. We are going through such a tough time right now, personally and in our relationship with each other, but I trust that You are in perfect control of this dire situation and that both my daughter and I will rise from the ashes of this attack, stronger, more confidant and closer to You. I trust that you will heal any hurts we have between us or within us individually from the spiritual war being waged against us and that we will end up complete and whole in You, victorious over the scheming ways of Satan. Until this war is over, I release to you this precious child for protection and peace and I release my own need to control and handle all that is happening. Give me instead, peace in your works, gratitude that you work miracles and strength to continue to fight and confidance that You are in control.
~In Jesus Name
Friday, April 6, 2012
Today's Inspiration:
You accomplish so much more than you give yourself credit for.
So many days it seems like my extremely long to do list never gets smaller, let alone done. I lay down at night completely exhausted and worn out, with today and yesterday's to do's waiting to now be completed tomorrow. What in the world do everyday? I came across the above quote in a magazine and it made me think about what I do get done everyday and why it is my to do list may not get done.
I get myself and 4 kids up, dressed, groomed and fed every morning.
I run my children to school during the week, to church on Sunday's and activities on Saturdays.
I work.
I clean and do laundry.
I pick up kids from school during the week.
I cook everyday.
I make lunches everyday.
I hit doctor appointments, school appointments and other various appointments.
I go to school.
I oversee homework for 4 and do homework for one.
I manage a house
I spend a little time everyday on volunteer work.
I manage a blog.
I pray.
I sleep
I grocery shop
I pay bills
I run miscellaneous errands
I shower.
And those are just the obvious things I do on a daily basis. I have now decided that I can stop beating myself up over the to do lists and how some of the things just get slid from one day to the next, for during the day, I really do accomplish more than I realize.
What I do accomplish everyday, the one thing that never gets put off on any day, is time spent in prayer and in the Word, somehow, someway, I always get this done. It is also those things which glorify God that I make sure get crossed off first on my list everyday.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Today's Prayer:
Thank you Lord for the ability to do your will and to glorify you, even when it seems nothing else is getting done.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Today's Inspiration:
Wonderful Things Happen All The Time
It really is true you know, wonderful things do happen all the time. Sadly though, most people don't know about the wonderful things happening everyday or think about them or realize what they are. We live in a world where most of us take everything for granted.
For instance, it's Spring here (most everywhere) and everyday wonderful, beautiful and simple miracles are happening. Grass is getting green, trees are budding and flowers are starting to sprout. Those are wonderful things. They beautify our surroundings and make us feel good.
Another wonderful thing that is happening, right this minute, somewhere in the world; a child is being born. A new baby, full of life, promise and wonder is coming into this world, a child whose life could make huge wonderful impacts on the world.
Somewhere else, as you read this, a couple are taking vows to love, honor and cherish each other till death does them apart, and they mean it. Somewhere else a couple is about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and THAT's a wonderful thing.
Sunrises and Sunsets are wonderful things. Beautiful and amazing, full of God's glory and beauty. Even more wonderful, is the fact that we are here, alive and breathing to see those wonderful creations each and everyday.
Our world is full of wonderful and miraculous things, some simple, such as flowers budding and birds chirping, others complicated. But when we open our eyes and choose to look and search out the wonderful things of this world, we will find them, God will show us.
Job 5:9
He performs wonders that can not be fathomed, miracles that can not be counted.
Through the dark points in my life, seeing the wonder in the world, was often hard to do. It was hard to take the focus off the pain and misery that I was experiencing and search out the goodness, the wonderful, the miraculous. To find any semblance of those things, I had to make a very concentrated and intentional effort to look and most days, honestly, I didn't want to. During the darkest days, I wanted to wallow in my sorrow. It wasn't until God had enough of my wallowing and prompted me to open my eyes to what mattered, not my pain or suffering, but His purpose for me through this pain and suffering. Once God prompted, no pushed me out of my comfortable,dark, wallowing hole, I began to open my eyes to the beautiful and wonderful world I had hidden myself from for so long.
Like a child, everything was fresh and new to me. Sunsets and sunrises were awe inspiring. Blooming flowers and falling leaves were breathtaking. Even my own body and mind was wonderful and new again. I was able to see things through God's love and purpose, which gave me a whole new perspective. News stories about death and destruction never seemed to reach me, but the few news stories about goodness and kindness seemed to always hit my news feed.
It is no longer a concentrated or intentional effort to find the wonderful things God has blessed us with, it's natural and all I see.
And if you are struggling today, in your dark pit, think of this, God is a wonderful being in and of Himself, one that will, if allowed, change any life and make it full of wonder, beauty, promise and love.
Psalm 105:5
Remember the wonders He has done, his miracles and the judgments he pronounced
Today's Prayer:
Thank you Lord, for the wonderful things you give each of us. For the big ones and the little ones, for the things we don't always even realize at first are wonderful and for those wonderful things we take for granted. Your wonder is amazing.
