Adjusting to Change

Over the summer my mom became ill, but we were very lucky because whatever it was went about as quickly as it came. 


Unfortunately whatever it was has returned and seems much worse this time.  I know the Internet is not always a good thing, but since she has become ill again I have come across some people with the same type of situations.  


No cure mind you, but at least I know that this kind of thing does happen and we are not alone.


The hard part is watching someone who was always such a nurturer and sweet person change before our eyes into something else.  There is hope that since she snapped out of it last time that could happen again.  That is what we are holding onto.  


Hope.


I wonder how people who go through traumatic situations survive without hope.  While I know I should just let the Lord take care of it, and I really have given it to him, it is so hard not to ask why, or what good can come from such a thing.  


Last night I went to visit my mom and she wouldn't hardly look at me, when I spoke to her she would look away and ask us to leave.  There was a lady sitting next to her who had grown up in the same area as my mom and knew her sister.  


As she talked she said, you know, sometimes things happen and we don't understand why God lets them happen, but maybe in a few years we will look back and we can see that he did have a plan, we just have to trust him.


While I knew that in my heart, and I truly believe it, I was glad to hear it come from someone else.


That is hope.


Trusting in the Lord.


It's hard to not be able to just call her and talk to her like we use to, but that's where I have to adjust myself.  Things will not be the same, they will be different.  But they can still be good, I just have to keep trusting the Lord, and hoping.

Sacrifices

Do we really know what it is to truly sacrifice ourselves in honor of the Lord?


There are some Christians in other parts of the world who make true sacrifices every day, I don't think that we in the USA have any idea of what those sacrifices really are.   An example is Asia/China.  Christians are not accepted, and can be persecuted for their beliefs.


Yet, people still go and try to share the Gospel with them, because that's what we are suppose to do.  I don't think I ever really realized what these people give up, have you?  Think about it, they leave their families, friends, go somewhere completely foreign to them to spread the good news.
That is a sacrifice.                                                                          


Missionaries are definitely special people, I don't think that is something that I am cut out for, but I thank God there are people who will do it.  It's not for everyone I'm sure, but what they are doing is exactly what Jesus told us to do.  


We are all called to take up our cross and follow him.  


Are you ready to sacrifice for Jesus?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This is an age old question that I feel sure you have asked yourself 1000 times, at least I have.  And unfortunately, I still don't know the answer.


Why does it seem like some people are handed everything, and others who may struggle or may be trying as hard as we can to live for Christ, well they seem to get knocked down more than they get helped up. 


Could it be that we are looking at it in the wrong way?  Maybe we should be asking ourselves through all those hardships what we can learn from it?  


Maybe we should just reach out to God and hold on.  Maybe that's all he wants, and all he ever wanted.


Sometimes I think we definitely try to make things more complicated than they should be, and sometimes we just feel sorry for ourselves.  


This morning I was frustrated about something that I didn't need to be, something that was really trivial.  But because of the person who did it, I let it get to me and I shouldn't have.


Now what can I learn from that?  


Let's see.
1.  I can't control other people, only myself.  Sometimes, I'm not very good at that.
2.  God is in control, always has been, always will be.
3.  Be a servant to others and quit worrying about what other people do.


There are probably a lot more lessons I could get out of that, but those seemed the most obvious to me.  

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.  They are the people he called because that was his plan.

Romans 8:28  New Century Version

Daily Bread

When I was reading my favorite book that I told you about, one of the things it discusses is how we live.  


Do you live beyond your means?  I suppose that would depend on how we define our means, I mean we have to have shelter.  If you work you need transportation to get you to and from work.  Of course we have to eat and have clothes.  But how much is too much?


When I first got married we lived in a small house, and I am not exaggerating AT ALL, it was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath home.  We could talk to each other from any where in the house.  While it was small,  for the 2 of us it was fine.  We definitely couldn't do much entertaining, but we did cook out on occasion.  We had to do it when it was warm so we could sit outside but we did it.


After our first child came along we had to add on a bedroom, and things just started to get a little too crowded.  So we decided to start looking for something bigger.  


We looked at some houses but then we decided to build.  Found a good contractor and got started and got pregnant so, it really timed itself out perfectly.  


I remember when we moved into our new house thinking how nice it would be when I get mad at my husband I would have a room to go to, I know that sounds weird, but I hadn't had a get away before so I really was looking forward to my own space.


Now, our house is not big by any means, just a 3 bedroom 2 bath home.  So I don't think we went overboard or anything, but sometimes I feel like we don't need it.   I am at a time in my life where new isn't necessary I guess.  I like taking something old and reusing it.  I think sometimes we put too much stock in things, and money.  


God will provide for us, he always does.  We have good jobs which I am very thankful for because I know a lot of people who are out of work.  I have decent transportation, and clothes on my back.  I'm doing OK.  

Maybe we just need to simplify things, like the Beatles, and the disciples and live on Love!

Trusting

We talk so much about trust.  We talk about how we trust our friends, we trust our spouses, and we trust our family members.  I wonder why it is so easy for us to trust other people, yet we have a hard time really trusting God.

I mean, let's be honest.  I know that someone has let you down at some point in your life.  Be it a friend, or someone you cared for.  Everyone has had something like that to happen, and while it's painful for us to think about, let's look at it from God's perspective.  

The bible tells us that people will let us down.  But God never will. 


It's easy for us to trust God when things are going good, but as soon as something bad happens, fear takes over.  We may feel that God has deserted us, or is punishing us for something we did wrong.  Whatever the reason we feel let down.  But God isn't letting us down, maybe this is when he's seeing how much we really trust him.  

No job, depend on God.  

No money, depend on God.

Alone, depend on God.

All that is easy to say when I am working, and have a family.  But life is not perfect, even when it may seem like it.  All families have problems of some kind.  Everyone has worries, and we all feel alone at some point in our lives.  But we have to seek God and trust him.  

He can get us through whatever we are going through.

When I am afraid, I will trust you.
I praise God for his word.
I trust God, so I am not afraid.
What can human beings do to me?   Psalm 56  3,4