How often when we are in the midst of something hard we wish life would just get better? We pray for God to take whatever is causing us distress to go away.
God has something to teach us in all situations even those that are challenging throughout our lives. When I focus on this it gives me a challenge during these times of difficulty. It allows me to remember when you are in God’s will and you are in the midst of something hard He will use it to shape and teach you. I started to focus on this concept a number of years ago when I was at a crossroads in my life and was not sure where to turn. God gave me the image of a precious metal filled with things that had taken its sparkle away. But gradually as it was taken through different fires it became more and more clear and less filled with things that distracted it from its true beauty.
I earnestly long to follow God’s purpose in my life and when I learned that in order to do that some (and I hate to admit this many) things I would need to go through would be hard and painful it gave me a different perspective. I started getting more comfortable going through these fires, while knowing it’s hot and uncomfortable, I look out for God’s fruit in the midst of these trials. God is waiting for me and you in these hard times holding our hands and giving us the strength to get through each one. And in the midst he’s making us more in his image if we let him. How about that for an added bonus!
As many of you know my father is dying of cancer that came on suddenly at the first of May. It has been such a quick adjustment for all who are around him and love him. As I encounter each day I pray for God’s strength just for the day I’m beginning and am encouraged that in the midst of the hard times that God will show his glory and shape me through each and every trial.
I encourage each of you as you go through whatever you are in now or may go through to be strong and trust that you are in the Lord’s hands. Know you are being shaped and molded and in the midst of each fire you are walking through. And through these fires the Lord is making you more sparkly and closer to the image of Him that he desires to see in you so you can shine His light brighter than ever.
Have a wonderful week and let me know how you are doing! trinitywomen.vb@gmail.com
Sabra
Friday, June 24, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Love Yourself
Hello wonderful Made to Crave sisters. I hope you are off to a great week. I was reminded today in my daily reading how in order to love others we must love ourselves first. This is such a critical point as we are on this healthier craving God journey together. If you do not love yourself send that prayer up to God and ask him for that, he would be honored to help you see how amazing you are and see yourself as he sees you.
I have a wonderful friend who is married to a dear friend of my husband’s from high school, she too is doing the same daily readings as I am and she will share insights as she has on them from time to time. I loved what she wrote to me last night:
“I was sitting on a plane waiting for it to take off for my weekly trip to Minneapolis. The sun hit my engagement ring as I was catching up on my bible reading. It scattered beautiful points of light all around me. I was fascinated by its wonder.
Then I looked down at what I was reading. Proverbs. I was honestly getting to a point where I was fatigued by the repeating guidelines. Yes I know I should not speak ill of others. Yes I know I should not be greedy. Yes I know that wisdom is better than riches. Do I really need to read this over and over again?
I thought about the beauty of the diamond and how the prism like qualities enabled its beauty. And how it is so strong that nothing can penetrate it. And then I thought about those Proverbs. And how God is trying to teach me that by following him and his guidelines I will become like a prism. Strong to outside interference and yet so beautiful when light shines through me. The light of Jesus Christ.”
Wasn’t that beautiful?! I had to share it. So as we get these guidelines in our reading of the bible, one of which is to love others as we LOVE ourselves, be reminded that we can all become like prisms shining Christ’s light to those around us.
God Bless,
Sabra
I have a wonderful friend who is married to a dear friend of my husband’s from high school, she too is doing the same daily readings as I am and she will share insights as she has on them from time to time. I loved what she wrote to me last night:
“I was sitting on a plane waiting for it to take off for my weekly trip to Minneapolis. The sun hit my engagement ring as I was catching up on my bible reading. It scattered beautiful points of light all around me. I was fascinated by its wonder.
Then I looked down at what I was reading. Proverbs. I was honestly getting to a point where I was fatigued by the repeating guidelines. Yes I know I should not speak ill of others. Yes I know I should not be greedy. Yes I know that wisdom is better than riches. Do I really need to read this over and over again?
I thought about the beauty of the diamond and how the prism like qualities enabled its beauty. And how it is so strong that nothing can penetrate it. And then I thought about those Proverbs. And how God is trying to teach me that by following him and his guidelines I will become like a prism. Strong to outside interference and yet so beautiful when light shines through me. The light of Jesus Christ.”
Wasn’t that beautiful?! I had to share it. So as we get these guidelines in our reading of the bible, one of which is to love others as we LOVE ourselves, be reminded that we can all become like prisms shining Christ’s light to those around us.
God Bless,
Sabra
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