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I am so excited about the season of life we are entering! I love to look forward to the things that I know God has prepared for us. Even the hard things. That is harder to live moment by moment than to say, but it is DEEP within my heart that He has purposed only good things for my life. That doesn't mean only good circumstances, it means, in His economy, the things that come from the hard stuff are far more glorious than the hard things would lead you to believe. God's character never changes.
I love that about Him. He remains the same. Everything in life changes. Everything but God.
He is steadfast, firm, unfailing, never ending, and completely loving. Even when He allows us to walk through something ugly. Even then. He is the same.
It has been an interesting couple of weeks. If you were with me, like right beside me right now. I would use my hands to make an illustration. So, imagine with me for a minute...
My left hand holds this part of my life right now that is hard. It is filled with struggles (almost entirely financial) and hardships. All things out of my control, and nothing "easy" lives in that hand. I find myself constantly reminding myself that this too shall pass... this will not be the state of our lives forever. This financial paralysis will not forever keep me from being able to bless others financially. That seems to be the hardest part. I love to give gifts to people. I am selfish in that (honestly). I love to give someone the money for a pedicure that couldn't have otherwise had that treat. Of course, I find it even more wonderful when I am able to go with her! But, it is actually painful to me to hear of needs and to know of people raising support that I cannot help because my hands are bound by the financial issues surrounding our lives. Boo. I mean it. Boo.
My right hand... on the other hand :) is filled with abundance. I finished writing my book. I am starting a new job Tuesday that I believe with all of my heart I was made for. I am so excited to start working - it is everything in me not to go up there every day and bug the precious lady who is working now! I can't wait!!! In addition, I am deeply blessed with my husband, my children and other happy "life" things that I am watching God uncover every day. One example of this is the way He has provided exactly the right place to take my kiddos for the few hours a week I will need care for them. He is abundant. It is a place where, the deep things in my heart that have been waiting for so long to be stirred are finally free to jump and dance and sing! He is giving me the desires of my heart - that He placed there long ago. I have been long meaning to look up the verse in 2 Corinthians 1 that talks to this exactly - so I am including it here. (NIV) 18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
This verse in and of itself is blessing me right now more than I can speak of (more on this later). But, my right hand is literally full right now of the things that have long been "wait", and now is the time for the "yes"! Praise Him for His precious timing!
However (now gesturing with both of my hands - lifting each up as I make my point) one overflowing with abundance, and one full of hardship, I would be the first to tell you that my God is the same God in both places. He just chooses to manifest Himself differently in each one. He - His character, His love and every other thing about Him is so unchanging - so very much the same in the places of hardship as He is in the places of abundance. It is just that He cares more about the condition of our hearts than He does the condition of our wallets - and sometimes it takes the one to get to the other (sad we are in this flesh)! He wants to teach us, and love us in those hard places because in those areas, we realize how deeply dependent we really are! We never have control over things, and yet, often we are able to live under the illusion that we do. But, anyone who has faced hardship at the hands of another knows the validity to this line of thinking. No mother chooses for her child to get in a car wreck because someone else was texting, or drinking, or not paying attention. We can train our children how not to do those things, but we have NO CONTROL over the actions of others. Anyway, the important thing here is that there is great comfort in knowing that all of God's intentions towards me are holy and pure. He seeks the good for us in areas that we didn't even know to be looking for it. He is truly a gracious and merciful Father. There is much peace in knowing that He delights in me as His child, and though His thoughts are higher than mine, and His ways higher and different than mine - He the Creator of the Universe - has it all laid out, and it is all good.
For God is good and everything He does is good. Amen and Amen!
