The Art of Presence

When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job 2:12-13 

 

I held his hand as he drew his last breath.  I didn't want to let go of his hand.  My best friend in the world was gone and the pain was excruciating!  I could manage only tears, which burned like acid.  I could barely breathe, mainly because I didn't want to breathe any longer.  Then a nurse came in.  I figured he was there to tell me I had to leave, but he simply pulled up a chair, and sat with me without saying a word.  How long we sat, I couldn't say, but the comfort of someone who cared enough about the turmoil I was enduring to just sit with me brought so much peace.

 

Job's friends heard about Job's troubles (he lost everything, except his wife who told him to "Curse God and die), and they came to try to comfort him in his misery.  When they saw Job's misery, they tore their clothes, threw dust on their heads, and wailed loudly.  Then, they sat on the ground with Job for SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS.  And here's the kicker: "No one said a word to Job."  

 

My point is this, comfort does not require words!  As a matter of fact, two of the most inane things a person can say to one who is grieving...

*    "It could have been worse" - Yes, it could have been, but right now I don't care because THIS is the worst if could be. 

 

*    "I know how you feel."  - You know how YOU felt, but YOU have NO idea how I feel, because you are not me.

 

The best thing to be said, "I love you" and "I'm here" and then sit quietly...THIS is the Art of Presence!

I will tell you that our dog, Woody Bear, is NOT a fan of loud noises, especially thunder and fireworks.  When he hears thunder or fireworks, he will either go hide in the closet or want me to hold him to comfort him.  He's trusts us to keep him safe and to comfort him (not to mention give him snacks).  

But think about this, when we are afraid, God is right there to comfort and protect us if we TRUST Him.  If we truly trust God as we claim to, then we trust Him completely!  We trust Him with providing what we need; we trust Him with our families; we trust Him with our jobs; We trust Him with every aspect of our lives!  When we trust God, we have nothing to fear because He is in control of EVERYTHING!

When Comfort And Healing Feel Far Away

 

These last few weeks have been tough, especially for Law Enforcement in South Carolina.  It's as if the evil in this world has been running rampant.  It's in these times that we begin to feel the seething anger boiling within us and the desire for revenge surging like a storm.  I admit it, I have those dark thoughts too and believe that I am justified in having them.

In this world we have a choice, to become like the evil we see, even if we call it "justified" or we can do what is right even when it goes against every fiber of our heart.  You see, two wrongs do not make it right.  It IS truly as struggle because, in my own heart, I don't seek justice...I seek vengeance, and that is where I am so wrong!  If I follow my heart to vengeance, then I become just like the evil I want to prevent.  

So what can we do?  We must do what is right!  We must learn to use our experiences to bring comfort to others who are also struggling.  

Where is God in all this? Where He always is, right with us...loving us....caring for us....healing us....comforting us.  Why aren't we feeling any sense of comfort?  Let me put it this way, if you have a wound that requires stitches but every day you keep picking at them keeping the wound open, how long do you think it will take to heal?  If we accept the stitches and take the physician's counsel seriously, the wound will heal properly in the right time.

Those with scars have proven they have survived.  And in their surviving are a valuable source of strength and comfort for those walking wounded.  God comforts us so we can comfort others.  It isn't easy to accept comfort, and that's okay.  Healing takes time! 

Just Can't Seem To Get It Right

I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Psalm 94:18-19

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who have stretches of time where I can't seem to do or say anything right.  I just can't seem to get it right, no matter how hard I try and no matter my intentions, I feel like the Apostle Paul when he declared: "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate" - Romans 7:15.  Such times create a lot of stress and turmoil, and I pray that these times pass quickly.

Look at the Psalmist's words: "I cried out, 'I am slipping'."  He cried out to God in his time of challenge and disappointment.  Then look what God did in return, "but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me."  God's love for us NEVER changes, it never diminishes, and it never leaves us.  God is supportive.  God is encouraging.  God is the only one who can prove His unfailing love for us.

One of the things I struggle with during the times I can't get it right is doubt.  I doubt myself.  And, honestly, I even doubt God's love for me at times, especially when I get a "dressing down."  But there always comes a time when God's support and love bring comfort which renews my hope and cheer.  You'd think I'd have gotten this right by now, but I still struggle at times.  This is why God brings people into our lives, so we can encourage each other and remind each other of God's love for us and His comfort. 

Life Is Tough! But God...

When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Psalm 94:19 

 

I love my job!  Not because it is glamorous; not because I get showered lots accolades; not because it brings lots of attention.  I love my job because it is what God has called me to do.  When issues or problems or hurts arise, God allows me to bring His comfort as best as I can. 

 

Now....I work with mostly Law Enforcement Officers.  These are tough individuals who are accustomed to being in control and in charge.  So when calamity strikes, and it does, they "suck it up and drive on."  Which works fine for them.....for a while.  Eventually, after months or even years of stuffing down their feelings...cracks begin to show.  Perhaps, they are more argumentative and don't understand why their squad, family, spouse don't like being around them.  Perhaps, they begin numbing their feelings with alcohol or other ingested methods.  Perhaps, they just quit altogether.  Perhaps they act out. Perhaps they have become so jaded that they hate everything and everyone.

 

Want to know something interesting?  What I described about Law Enforcement Officers applies to humanity as a whole.  We don't want people to think we are weak.  We don't want people to see that we are vulnerable.  We don't like NOT being in control. 

 

Fact:  We AREN'T in control!  God is the one in control.  So when doubts fill out minds, and they will, God will comfort us and renew our hope.  And guess what?  Usually through people who have endured something similar and has come through on the other side.

 

God comforts us in ways we don't expect and through people who truly do care.  Don't be afraid to be real and honest.  There will come a time when YOU will be able to be God's comforter for others.

 

As a matter of note:  I often counsel others to "Take care of yourself; because if you don't take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others."  I am going to be taking my own advice, as difficult as that is, and will be off the grid until Monday.

 

Be Brave!

Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

I love reading.  And one of my favorite series of books to read are the Lord of the Rings (if you haven't read them, I highly recommend them).  In this story, Frodo has to take an evil item to it's place of origin so it will be destroyed, and it is quite the adventure.  But Frodo is given a bit of advice: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door.  You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

 

How often have we been afraid to step out of our comfort zone because we don't know where we might be swept off to?  How many times have we "played it safe" and chosen to try to hide from the world because of all the evil that seems to be running rampant all about?

 

Read what the Psalmist reminds us of: "Even when I walk THROUGH the darkest valley, I will not be afraid."  We were never told to enter the darkest valley and stop.  When we are in our darkest places where we feel as though we are being attacked from every side, we are to keep moving!  We are not to be afraid!  Because God is not only with us, but He has already traveled this road ahead of us; He has already fought this fight for us!  And here's the best part....He has already WON!  

 

When you step out of your door or your comfort zone or your hiding place, step out with the knowledge that God has already won!  Step out with the courage that nothing can take God's victory away!  Nothing can change the outcome God has already proclaimed.  Absolutely NOTHING!

 

Armor Up! Step Up! And let's march on together!

We May Not See It Now, But...

“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind!
    Remember this, you guilty ones.

Remember the things I have done in the past.
    For I alone am God!
    I am God, and there is none like me.

Only I can tell you the future
    before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
    for I do whatever I wish."

Isaiah 46:8-10 

Have you ever taken a look at a Mosaic?  Have you ever watched an artist create a Mosaic?

The artist takes colored tiles, pottery, glass and breaks them into small pieces.  Then they will pick through the pieces and shards to find what fits their conceived design.  They each piece is fixed in place to create incredible images like the staircase above.  Each piece of mosaic art is extremely time consuming and labor intensive, not to mention mentally exhausting keeping the image in mind and focusing on making sure each piece is in place.  

The result of all that hard work and patience is breathtaking!  

Now.....we may not understand why we have to endure each event in our lives, but God does.  He is carefully and patiently making sure that each event is in just the right place at just the right time to shape our lives into the most amazing mosaic!

God NEVER makes mistakes!  He is ALWAYS with us, even, and especially, during the tough trials.  And His plans for us are going to be the art that someone else will see and be inspired by, because God never wastes an experience!

If you are going through a difficult, challenging, painful, or troubling time in your life, know that this is part of God's Mosaic called Your Life In Him!

We're Pretty Amazing!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Psalm 139:13-14

We really are pretty amazing.  I have often wondered what kind of mind it took to design us in such a way that each bit has a function, yet some bits we can function without and some bits we can't function without.  We can function without a spleen.  We can function without a gallbladder.  We can function without an appendix.  But the heart? Nope, we've got to have one in order to function.  Lungs? Got to have at least one.  We have been intricately designed and it amazes me just how intricately designed we are.

Look at the ship in the photo.  It has been carved out of jade.  Will is sail? Probably not, but sailing is not the purpose for this ship.  This delicately intricate carving in jade's purpose is to be seen and appreciated.  Believe it or not, we all have a purpose, and we may not realize what our purpose is supposed to be for quite some time.

When I was in school, I was socially awkward, shy, quiet, bashful, and any of the other Seven Dwarves you can think of or imagine. For all intents and purposes, I thought my only purpose in life was to be miserable so others wouldn't have to be.  But I was wrong!  It took a LOT of years to understand that, aside from making me the Big Sexy Padre, my purpose was to minister to people in unorthodox ways; to love people who didn't think they were lovable; to encourage people because I know what discouragement feels like.  God made me in such an intricate way that I am His multi-purpose tool!  

And so are YOU!  Think about this...every single experience you have had was for a purpose (whether you understood it, understand it, or believe it).  Because of YOUR experiences you can reach out to people most of us cannot.  You can be a source of help and encouragement that most of us can't.  But you are the one who has to decide what to do with what you have endured.  

Make your legacy be a positive example! 

Treat Me Like A Child

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!

~Psalm 116:1-2

When my daughter was a toddler, she was quite the social butterfly.  She would talk with anyone and everyone as if she had known them for years.  But I noticed that her conversations would be fairly brief when she had to look up because the adult was standing over her.  But if the adult would talk to her face to face, she was in her element and the conversation would flow.  I've noticed this about people in general as well.  When there's a barrier or some obstruction, the conversation is rather formal, relatively short, and pretty much very formal.

Sadly, when we talk with God we put barriers between us as well.  We think of God as some old geezer sitting piously on His throne holding His rod of smiting ready to smite us with it.  Doesn't make for a very good conversation, does it?  But here's what I want you to understand about God, when He hears us, He comes face to face with us as a loving parent who WANTS to talk with us.  God wants us to see the love in His eyes.  God wants us to hear the caring in His voice.  God wants us to feel His protection.  God wants us to talk WITH Him, not at Him.  God created us so we can have a relationship WITH Him!

Trust Issues?

The Lord is good,
    a strong refuge when trouble comes.
    He is close to those who trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

Is it easy to trust?  I have the honor to work with Law Enforcement Officers (and am grateful for them EVERY DAY), and I can tell you...Cops are NOT among the most trusting of people.  Matter of fact, most people I know have been burned by trusting too quickly. 

Think about this: You don't go buy a surfboard and just dash off to go surfing.  In order to surf, you start small, practice a lot, and trust your new skills a little bit at a time. You will have some setbacks, but you keep at it and you will eventually have the trust and confidence to do amazing things on a surfboard.

Now....consider trusting people.  Think about your best friend.  Did you just pick someone at random, trust them completely, and have never looked back?  I doubt it.  Trust is built over time.  But here's the kicker: Trust can only grow by trusting!

Ponder one more: Do you trust God?  He's been around a LONG time.  He knows more about you than you are willing to admit or that you may even know about yourself.  As a matter of fact, God knows your every thought before you think it.  And He loves you anyway.  He is always with us, even when we don't think He is.  One more thing, If God wasn't trustworthy then you wouldn't be reading this because He wouldn't bother to keep you around, but since He loves you so much that He wants you to trust Him...you are here, right not, reading this.

Trust grows by trusting!  

What Do You Mean 'We're Similar'?

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our likeness. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

~Genesis 1:26

We are made in the likeness of God.  That may be difficult to fathom, and a bit daunting, but God decided to make humans in His likeness.  In today's photo you see my Grampa on the left, and I am on the right.  You can see that we share a likeness.  Why? Because we come from the same bloodline and the same gene pool (and I just heard my Bride groan). Therefore, I have many of the same traits as my Grampa (like it or not).

But it doesn't stop there!  Every single human being that has ever existed or will exist is made in God's likeness, we ALL share traits of God.  And we are just like each other in more ways than we imagine.  Some tend to believe that the pigmentation of the skin is where we are to draw the line of similarities.  But guess what? God didn't stop at the skin pigmentation.

Consider this:

     * We all must breathe

     * We all must have water

     * We all need love

     * We are all born helpless.

     * We all have a skeleton.

     * We all have blood that flows through us.

     * We all have the same organs inside.

     * We all have a brain (whether we use it or not)

     * We all feel pain (physical, emotional, spiritual)

     * We all were born (none of us hatched or were found under a cabbage leaf or were dropped off by a stork)

     * We all have a purpose. (God does not make mistakes)

     * We all are really good at messing up. (Which is why Jesus came to die for us).

     * We all have God's lifebreath within us.

You see, we have so many more similarities than mere skin color.  WE are the ones who create these boundaries and barriers.  WE are the ones who limit each other with our prejudices.  

Are we different?  Absolutely!  Not saying we're not.  But if we were all the same, nothing would be accomplished.  Let us delight in the fact that we are God's Creation!  He loves us enough to let us be part of His creation!  Be part of the celebration instead of part of the division!

You Hear But Are You Listening?

So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.

~Genesis 7:5

Sherlock Holmes was famous for pointing out, "You see, but you do not observe!  I see AND observe and, thus, many crimes are solved."  What about us?  

These last several days have drenched in rain, which has resulted in flooding.  People have had to leave their homes and even evacuate completely to higher ground because of the flooding. People have joked about needing to build an ark just to get to work.  And, yes, I have made that same joke as well.

Sunday morning, however, we awoke to soaked rug and the sound of dripping water (which we heard in spite of the rain sounds from outside).  I walked into the den to find a large, wet, dripping section of sheet rock and off to the attic I climbed to attempt to discover the source of this leak.  Sure enough, the roof did have a spot where the water was seeping in. So, after putting down a large pot to catch the water, off to into the storms we went to Stuff-Mart to see if we could find something to stem the building flood. 

On the way home to tackle the issue with the hope that we had what we needed to at least patch the leaky roof, the thought occurred to me that Noah's neighbors must have thought him insane to build an enormous boat.  They probably laughed and joked.....until the rain began and didn't let up.  

Noah, on the other hand, was more focused on doing what God had told him to do rather than listen to his neighbors.  Has God ever nudged you to do something you KNEW was the right thing to do, but you chose not to do it because you felt you'd be laughed at?  Yeah me too.  Has God ever put on your heart to do something, and you did it with all your dedication...until people started making fun of you or told you that what you were doing would never make a difference?  Yeah, me too.

Yet Noah did EVERYTHING that God commanded him to do.  And in doing that, Noah and his family came out okay. 

Those who personally know me can tell you that I don't preach at people, rather I talk with people, I hand out Tootsie Rolls, I listen to them, I make Butt Ugly But Big Afghans (BUBBAs) to give away....but I don't preach.  God laid on my heart, many years ago, to listen to people and share whatever He put on my mind to share with them.  But Noah is a great example of just that, do what God has put on your heart no matter what other people might say.

To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, "You Hear, But Are You Listening?"

ME?

I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, 

“Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” 

I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

For the longest time I was convinced that nothing I did made a difference or could do any lasting good because I was just one person. And, after all, what can one person accomplish that has any sort of positive lasting impact on society. Looking back at my own life, regardless of what it might look like or what has been said, there were a few bright moments, but for the most part let's just say I was eager to leave the party.

My Grampa was one of those bright spots in my life.  During one visit, I remember sitting on the bumper of his car (1965 Ford Galaxy 500 that I wanted SO badly), and I was just numb.  Grampa came out, lit his pipe (as was his custom) and leaned against the car. And he said, "Ain't seen a face that long since the last time the mule ate saw briers. What hog ate your snake boy?"  So I told him that no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to make an impact on anyone.  Grampa's advice? "You're sleeping in the garage tonight boy!"

The next morning at 5am, Grampa came out and told me to get up because breakfast was ready.  I had never slept so little that I could remember....EVER!  On the way into the house, Grampa said: "Still think you don't make an impact on others?"  I mumbled something to the affirmative, and his response floored me like a right hook from a street fighter, "Mosquito wasn't looking to have an impact on anyone either. Mosquito just doin' what God made him to do.  But he impacted your sleep last night, eh?"  I remember looking into Grampa's face with my sleep deprived eyes and he got nose to nose with me and told me, "Ain't YOUR job to make a splash!  It's YOUR job to do what God tells you because all the water you trying to splash is His!"

And you know, I don't need a wall full of plaques and certificates to know that God uses even people as flawed as me to make a difference.  Don't believe it? Have you seen the faces of folks light up with something as small as a Tootsie Roll?  Have you seen people change when you let them know they are appreciated?  Have you heard the stomach of the homeless person stop rumbling because you gave your lunch to them?  It doesn't take a big splash to make a difference, it just takes a heart that is willing when God asks, "Who shall I send?"

And I have to put in this shameless plug.  My bride and I married in 1999.  I gave her my very first BUBBA (Butt Ugly Butt Big Afghan) that took over 2 months to make.  She thought I was weird and possibly certifiably missing a few of the more important synapses, but she accepted it graciously.  After we had been married a few months we sold gave a sofa to a lady who had come from SisterCare, my sweet bride took the BUBBA I had made for her and gave it to this lady.  I can tell you that they hugged and cried and prayed right there in our garage for almost half an hour.  All from a simple gesture of giving one ugly blanket away. AND my bride is now a HUGE part of the BUBBA Project whether she knows it or not.

Do you have an impact?  BEYOND A DOUBT!!!

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

A couple of years ago, for all my Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett did a little ditty called "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere."  The point of the song is exactly what Solomon is reminding us in  today's Scripture!  There is a time for everything, and that means the time is always NOW!  Think about this message! 

This means:

     *  the time to do what is right is NOW!

     *  the time to tell your loved ones that you love them is NOW!

     *  the time to do your best at work is NOW!

     *  the time to make those positive changes is NOW!

     *  the time to stop procrastinating is NOW!

     *  the time to make things right with someone you are on the outs with....is NOW!

     *  the time to be that good friend is NOW!

     *  the time to step up and PARENT is NOW!

     *  the time to stop cutting corners is NOW!

     *  the time to remember that you are God's chosen child and act like it, is NOW!

     *  the time to stand on your own two feet is NOW!

The time to do the best things for yourself and for those you care about....is NOW!  Make those changes! Mend those relationships! Take those steps! Do it NOW!  After all....It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

                            

5 O'Clock

What's Your Excuse?

Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

  “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath. 
~John 5:2-7

Excuses!  Boy aren't we good about finding excuses.  Why? Because if we can get people to accept our excuses then we don't think we have to take any personal responsibility....after all, it's not MY fault!

Here we see Jesus in Jerusalem walking by one of the public pools.  Tradition stated that when an angel moved the water, the first person into the pool would be healed.  Jesus saw a man laying on a mat by the pool and asks him if he would like to get well.  The man thought Jesus was just passing the time of day in small talk so he explains that while he would like to be healed, there's a reason why he can't.  Some would wonder, if the man could get to the edge of the pool with no apparent help, why couldn't he roll into the pool on his own.  Such answers we are not given.

You see, the man gave Jesus a plausible excuse why he couldn't get into the pool.  Jesus, on the other hand, saw the man's potential and healed him.  While we celebrate the face that Jesus healed this man, we don't notice the truth of what Jesus did for this man.  In reality, Jesus took away the man's excuses!  When Jesus healed this man, He took away all the excuses why the man couldn't become self-supporting; Jesus took away all excuses why the man needed someone to do everything for him; Jesus took away all the excuses why the man should be pitied.  Jesus takes away our excuses all the time!

Jesus takes away our excuses!  "I'm too tired to make it to church this week" - Go to bed earlier instead of partying all night.  "I don't have enough money in my month" - Get rid of the expenses that aren't vital to survival.  "I hate my job" - Change your attitude or change your job. 

I'll admit, I much prefer to exercise my mind over my body.  My body is built for comfort.  My doctor told me I must walk (quick march) no less than 45 minutes each day.  I gave him all the excuses I could think of why I "couldn't" and the response I got was "You got legs that work?  You can walk!"

Jesus teaches us every single day and in teaching us, He takes away our excuses.  When you stand before God to give account for your life, what excuses will you offer?

Don't Worry, I'm Here!

That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

~John 6:16-21 

 

Way back when I was about 16 years old, my Dad asked me to help him take down a tree in our back yard.  I admit I wasn't too thrilled about it because I felt I had better things to do, but off we went to take down this tree.  Dad laid out the game plan: Since he had already removed the limbs, he would climb the tree, tie a rope around the top, then cut a wedge out so the tree would fall.  MY job was to take the other end of the rope, go to the far side of the yard (away from the house), and keep the rope taut.  When Dad cut the wedge, I was to pull the rope so the tree would fall in the middle of the yard and not on the house.

 

Like most plans, it seemed pretty straight forward on paper and in theory.  However......

All went according to plan.  I kept the rope taught, and when Dad cut the wedge out of the tree, I pulled for all I was worth.  (Side note here:  When I was 16, I was not the robust model of masculinity you see today.  I weighed around 90 lbs. and was probably the smallest person in my high school class.)  

 

Now, when I pulled the rope, the tree started leaning my direction and I thought this was going to be a pretty easy project.  Just as I finished that thought, a gust of wind blew the tree the opposite direction. As I felt myself begin to be dragged across the yard I, wisely or so I thought, decided to let go of the rope.  When I did, the rope wrapped around my arm and when the top of the tree fell into the neighbor's yard, I shot across the yard and into the tree hitting the trunk with a thunk our neighbor on the side I had been standing heard it inside her house.  And there I was, dangling about 15 feet off the ground by my rope entangled arm.

 

I knew this was not part of the plan because there was pain.  LOTS of pain!  There were rope burns, there were embedded splinters, there were lots of bruised places inside and outside.  This was NOT what the plan called for!  But then, I heard the most wonderful voice say, "Don't worry! I've got you!"  It was my Dad, who had come to get me down.

 

Think about the things that happen to you that you swear are NOT part of the plan.  If you are like most people (me included), your thoughts might go something like this: "IF God loves me, why do I have to hurt like this? IF God truly cares about me, why is my life so hard?  IF God truly wants what's best for me, why doesn't HE just give me what I need?"

 

If God did everything FOR us so that we didn't have to lift a finger, then would we really appreciate Him or would we become spoiled brats expecting more and more?  God NEVER promised an easy life, in fact Jesus told us that in this life we WILL have troubles and turmoil.  But He also promised to never leave us or reject us! 

 

Life IS hard, but God IS good!