Last night, I wanted to do some work, but after my computer was taking such a long time to boot up, I took it as God wanting me to spend some alone time with Him. I believe He had me to watch an interview with Pastor Dan Hall, the person who really brought me closer to Him. I’m here crying as I type this because my fav Pastor is now paralyzed from the neck down, and I am questioning God as to why He allowed such a terrible thing to happen. But like Pastor Hall explained, life is about how you RESPOND when bad things happen:
“How am I going to respond to being in this chair? I am going to pray that Christ (God) be exalted (glorified). That somehow in this chair, somehow in my responses and interactions, I am glorifying Him. I’m pointing people to Him.”
That’s me! I say my life is a movie that everyone is watching, and I hope that they see God in me. That even is my sad times I can brag about my God winks and how God showed up to comfort me. That in my most challenging times, He will have the perfect people to show up to assist me, or He would give me the clarity as to what direction to take to resolve it. That even when I’m down to nothing and feel my most wretched and awful self, and He sweetly says, “Give me your nothingness. Didn’t I create the entire world from nothing?” Even in my failings, he gently says, “Just do better next time.” No guilt, no condemnation, no love lost.
Even our business that I’m trying to get back on track (A HUGE CHALLENGE that has stressed me out ALOT), God has been showing up to help us. In a conversation with our manager, yesterday, I said, “We’re dancing with our Partner – God.” And he texted me back, “The DJ.” Fast forward to yesterday evening, I decided to have an appointment with God reading a page on our family’s website, werollwithgod.com. I looked around for a number to determine what page to read out of 53 pages, and saw the number 28. I go to page 28 and incredibly read this,
“… and said to God that He was my DJ (Wink! Wink!).”
That was AGAIN God’s sweet and FUN way of revealing His Presence with me when everything lined up a little bit too perfect to be some ordinary coincident. HE IS IN THE FIRES WITH US!!! This is why I’m learning that we can indeed be joyful and at peace when we go through hard times because these are the times we’re learning to RELY on God (OUR GREATEST FRIEND!). And, let me tell ya, He doesn’t disappoint!
“I told you these things so that you can have peace in me (God). In this world YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE but be brave! I have defeated the world.” – John 16:33
I always imagine God winking at me when I read this verse! His love casts away all my fears that even when bad things happen, I know that its from the hands of a loving God who knows what’s best for us.