You know what I have come to realize through the years? That it's ok to not be ok. I know you are reading this and are now amazed at just how wise I am. You are probably wondering how I come up with these miraculous quotes all on my own. It does make you wonder how I do it - doesn't it?
Really, though. I think sometimes, especially those of us who are raised in a church, believe we must be ok all of the time. If our life is going bad and things are falling apart all around us, we feel that if we say anything to anyone, it will reflect badly on our God - who is able to do anything. We believe that if God is able to do anything, that he would surely not want us to go through a hard time or to suffer. That is where the confusion lies.
We all go through difficult times in our lives. Some, it seems, have a life full of trouble. When we look around, a few things are caused by our poor choices, and many we have no control over. So, what can we do during these times of hardship? How do we cope knowing God can do anything, and yet - it seems He is not.
In my own life trials and learnings, I feel that we just don't get it. Life. We think this life and our daily living is set up for us. For us to be happy and have all the fun toys to create an enjoyable time while we are here.We think this life is set up for us to be happy and if we are not having fun or we are not happy, then something is wrong. I am not against having fun, being happy or having toys. I love sitting at the beach on my day off and tuning out the world around me for a while. I do think God loves us and wants us to enjoy life, but I don't think that is what this is all about.
If you look back into the Bible, many of the disciples who walked with Jesus had a difficult time.Paul was shipwrecked, beaten and put in prison. If he was supposed to be on earth to be happy, I don't think he was doing such a great job of it!
God uses good and bad in our lives. It says in the Bible, "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but the title of this section of the Bible - in my own Bible, is "Present Suffering and Future Glory". I think the future glory is speaking about Heaven. So, where does that leave us? God is working all things out for our good. Yes. I believe that is true! Here is the problem...I think the idea we have of "good" in our life and God's idea of "good" are two different things.
My husband walked through a dark time in his life. It was heartbreaking to stand by and watch as God allowed him to not see the light. To cry and feel abandoned by his God. I became angry at God for a time. I remember taking a walk and yelling at the sky. Asking God why he took away my best friend...he was not really there. It was an empty shell of who he had been. It took a few years to get my husband and best friend fully back. I remember about a year and a half after it began, I heard him laugh. I knew that it was the start of true healing in his life. He began to heal, slowly. When he came out of this dark hour in his life, he was different. He would never again be the same. This, I believe is what that verse is talking about. God brought good from this. This darkness changed my husband to be more like his God. Pain took out what was in the way, so that God could better use him to reach others. Now, those who my husband can relate to are those who are broken by life - or those who are walking in the dark. God allowed this "not happy" time in our lives. This pain was made to work for good in the people's lives that my husband ministers to. God wanted more for his life. He also knew that my husband could not get there without his help - without the darkness.
Because of this experience, my husband wrote a book called, "Pouring Ketchup". This book has many short stories that show how God is walking with us in the small moments of our lives. He is in the dark moments. He is using these moments to create something amazing with our lives - to create lives that will ultimately change those who walk around us and point them to our Creator and Lord. This experience in our family, I believe, was "good" in God's eyes. It was bitterly painful to walk through, but God's definition of "good" is different than ours. He wants us to depend on him, to find who we really are as his creation. He wants us to look to Heaven as something exciting - something in our future that is so much better than we have here! His good is not our good, but it is always for our good.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Just Plain Ordinary
Ordinary.
I feel ordinary most of the time. Not too special, not too pretty, not too popular - just plain ole ordinary. Do you ever feel ordinary? Do you feel you live just an ordinary life? I think most of us feel this way some, or most of the time. Even if we feel we are all alone in our "ordinary" world - I really believe most people would agree that their life is "just ordinary".
It seems we are under the assumption that ordinary is not good enough. We look around and see all of the things we would love to do, yet, how could we - just an ordinary person - accomplish a dream like that? God doesn't use ordinary, normal people - does he? I mean, sometimes its hard to even dream about something amazing happening in my life. I'm just ordinary, so it doesn't seem like that dream would actually happen, you know? Why waste my time dreaming about God using my life when I am just ordinary me. I really don't have much to offer anyway. I should just pray for other people who already have all the gifts. That could be my thing. I could be the person who encourages other people to have a dream. My life is pretty ordinary. I'm not as smart or talented as some of those who can plan big events and reach a lot of people. Not really sure what God can do with an ordinary person living a normal, everyday life.
Have you felt that way before, that you are "just plain ordinary"? Did you ever wonder if God could use you in your normal, ordinary life? I have good news for you! God uses Ordinary!! The disciples of Jesus were called "ordinary". When people began to notice their preaching and teaching, this is what they said, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
What was the factor in their lives that made someone take notice of their ordinary? The factor was Jesus. It says, "They took note that these men had been with Jesus." The time they spent with Jesus changed their ordinary lives into something that caused others to take notice. God uses Ordinary.
When we take time to be with Jesus, our ordinary will be noticed by those around us. The light of Christ shines through ordinary. God can use ordinary people to change the world! All you have to do is give Jesus the "wheel" (as Carrie Underwood would say). If you give your dreams to God, he will use your ordinary to change those around you and that is how the world is changed. One person at a time. Yes, you may be walking in ordinary, but when you walk with Christ, He can turn your ordinary into ORDINARY.
I feel ordinary most of the time. Not too special, not too pretty, not too popular - just plain ole ordinary. Do you ever feel ordinary? Do you feel you live just an ordinary life? I think most of us feel this way some, or most of the time. Even if we feel we are all alone in our "ordinary" world - I really believe most people would agree that their life is "just ordinary".
It seems we are under the assumption that ordinary is not good enough. We look around and see all of the things we would love to do, yet, how could we - just an ordinary person - accomplish a dream like that? God doesn't use ordinary, normal people - does he? I mean, sometimes its hard to even dream about something amazing happening in my life. I'm just ordinary, so it doesn't seem like that dream would actually happen, you know? Why waste my time dreaming about God using my life when I am just ordinary me. I really don't have much to offer anyway. I should just pray for other people who already have all the gifts. That could be my thing. I could be the person who encourages other people to have a dream. My life is pretty ordinary. I'm not as smart or talented as some of those who can plan big events and reach a lot of people. Not really sure what God can do with an ordinary person living a normal, everyday life.
Have you felt that way before, that you are "just plain ordinary"? Did you ever wonder if God could use you in your normal, ordinary life? I have good news for you! God uses Ordinary!! The disciples of Jesus were called "ordinary". When people began to notice their preaching and teaching, this is what they said, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
What was the factor in their lives that made someone take notice of their ordinary? The factor was Jesus. It says, "They took note that these men had been with Jesus." The time they spent with Jesus changed their ordinary lives into something that caused others to take notice. God uses Ordinary.
When we take time to be with Jesus, our ordinary will be noticed by those around us. The light of Christ shines through ordinary. God can use ordinary people to change the world! All you have to do is give Jesus the "wheel" (as Carrie Underwood would say). If you give your dreams to God, he will use your ordinary to change those around you and that is how the world is changed. One person at a time. Yes, you may be walking in ordinary, but when you walk with Christ, He can turn your ordinary into ORDINARY.
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