Several years ago I had a friend named Laura. Really, I still count her a friend, but about five years ago now we used to see and talk to each other much more regularly than we do today. Anyhow, each month when I would get to see her I'd ask her how she'd been and without fail I would be so humbled by her answer that eventually I started to not even want to ask how things were.
Isn't that awful!?!? It was total conviction!
Laura would look at her week and express her gratitude to God for the opportunity to be patient ... to understand grace better ... to grow as a person ... to develop self control. Translation: it's been a rough week, I've been surrounded by people who are irritating me, life has been really hard. And yet she would smile, thank God for the opportunities she had that week, and bless everyone around her.
This has been a week of opportunities in my life. I've had the opportunity to trust God, the opportunity to love others, the opportunity to choose joy over and over again when irritation and frustration made more sense and seemed more instinctual. I've had the opportunity to smile when I wanted to cry, to laugh when I wanted to scream, and to walk in peace when I wanted to rage.
And you know what hit me this morning when the van started acting up? That God loves me. And that every single detail of my life has passed through His equipping grace. Everything He has sent my way and everything He has allowed to come my way are literally that: things that have either been chosen by Him or permitted by Him. There are no surprises to God. And He has promised never to give me more than I can bear. He has promised to work all things for my good. He has promised to never leave. For I am pressed, but not crushed ... persecuted, but not abandoned ... struck down, but not destroyed. And my blessings are pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
What opportunities are you facing today?
{P.S. How do you like the random picture of dog smiling? I saw it and it made me smile today amidst all my opportunities and thought it might do the same for you!}
Isn't that awful!?!? It was total conviction!
Laura would look at her week and express her gratitude to God for the opportunity to be patient ... to understand grace better ... to grow as a person ... to develop self control. Translation: it's been a rough week, I've been surrounded by people who are irritating me, life has been really hard. And yet she would smile, thank God for the opportunities she had that week, and bless everyone around her.
This has been a week of opportunities in my life. I've had the opportunity to trust God, the opportunity to love others, the opportunity to choose joy over and over again when irritation and frustration made more sense and seemed more instinctual. I've had the opportunity to smile when I wanted to cry, to laugh when I wanted to scream, and to walk in peace when I wanted to rage.
And you know what hit me this morning when the van started acting up? That God loves me. And that every single detail of my life has passed through His equipping grace. Everything He has sent my way and everything He has allowed to come my way are literally that: things that have either been chosen by Him or permitted by Him. There are no surprises to God. And He has promised never to give me more than I can bear. He has promised to work all things for my good. He has promised to never leave. For I am pressed, but not crushed ... persecuted, but not abandoned ... struck down, but not destroyed. And my blessings are pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
What opportunities are you facing today?
{P.S. How do you like the random picture of dog smiling? I saw it and it made me smile today amidst all my opportunities and thought it might do the same for you!}
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Share what YOU think -- I love your comments!