The Light Shines

I feel as if God is preparing me for a great tragedy, but if we're honest with ourselves, isn't he always?
The truth of God's word rings true every. single. day. Every day whether we reach for it, study it, listen to it, and search for the answers that we so often seek.
I'm currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, have you read it? It's a tough read, for different reasons, but currently I am at a spot that reflects on how all things, good and bad, come from God.
The great tragedies of our lives are gifts from God and this text hit me hard with that truth as I was reading it last night:
"All God makes is good. Can it be that, that which seems to oppose the will of God actually is used of Him to accomplish the will of God? That which seems evil only seems so because of perspective, the way the eyes see the shadows. Above the clouds, light never stops shining."
Above the clouds, light never stops shining.
I had to think about that for a good long while and breathe deep the realization that even when my own heart is breaking, when tragedy surrounds me, and when I feel like there is nothing but evil left in the world, God's mighty hand is allowing it.
I'm not leaving Satan's pull blameless and forgotten here, but our Almighty is in full control - He can step in an intervene in all things - good and bad. Everything that happens to us, our friends, our family, the world - it is His will. \ I read Romans 5:12-21 this morning as a start of a new devotional about Justice for She Reads Truth, and it seemed to tie everything together for me. Justice - we seek it in order to feel as if all the evil, the bad, that happens in this world is redeemed. But Jesus found justice at the cross when he died for ALL sin.
The problem is that we too often forget that great sacrifice.
I feel as if God is preparing me for a great tragedy: all these reminders that all things come from Him, that justice has already been served. I just hope I have faith enough to remember it when the time comes.

Join me in this new devotional? I'd love to reflect on God's truth together.

Be Patient and KNOW that I am God!

We can all get frustrated with waiting for that next 'big' thing. When we're younger, we can't wait to turn 16, then 18. We can't wait to start driving, move out...get married. We can't wait to start a family, buy a home, get the big promotion we've worked so hard for. In all this rushing to get to the next 'big' thing, we can often forget that God has a plan for our lives and our plans do not always coincide with His.

We will cry out, pray, complain, wish, dream and just plain out feel fed-up when what we think should be happening just isn't. We are truly creatures of want; constantly wanting something more and more, no matter how blessed we are!

I am more than guilty of being a creature of want. Instead of praising God for what I have, I find myself often asking him 'why not now?' when it comes to what I THINK should be my next 'big' thing.

I have made it very known that Jeremy and I are trying to conceive and grow our little family from three to four. As I was making the hour drive home from my weekly trip to see my grandmother yesterday, Henry was snoring in the backseat and the radio was tuned to my favorite station, but my mind was elsewhere - talking to God. (God and I, we hang out in the car. I don't know why but that is OUR place!) I used to think that people were crazy when they would say 'God spoke to me..' and go into detail about what He would say. I always felt like God spoke to the heart and while you could have a feeling as to what He was saying, you'd never actually be able to cipher his exact words out of those feelings. So untrue. God can speak to you and while you may not hear an audible voice, it's very clear as to what He's saying.

So God and I were having a little chat and being the creature of want that I am, I was asking Him why it seemed like everyone else was getting pregnant but I wasn't. (Yeah, comparisons...already making a mistake there, right?) And as I was pouring my heart out about how badly I wanted another baby, I looked up and saw my sleeping beauty in the rear-view mirror and just stopped. And God said, "look at what you already have...quit working so hard towards the next and cherish this one for a little while longer" and I couldn't say another word. Thanks Father, thanks for putting me back in my place...

If we would quit focusing on the next big thing, quit wishing for more, dreaming for more...and focus on what God has given us already, we would be in a world of better shape. Faith includes faith in His timing, which is perfect timing. His ultimate plans are to grow us for Him and to Him and we must trust that His plans and His timing are what we need.

Today I'm praying to have patience and faith to trust God's timing. Completely.