I was blessed to have been able to spend a few days with girlfriends I had grown up with at church last week. We had a great time simply catching up on our lives. I am so thankful that God has given me such wonderful and Godly friends. During our time of reminiscing it was brought to my attention that they were concerned for us! I look back on this and realized that last year, my adjustment to our new life and ministry was very hard for me to comprehend. I was very overwhelmed by everything-new place, new people, new house, still adjusting to having 2 babies and a new status of being a stay at home Mom. I had received a phone call from one of these friends on a very terrible day where I simply wallowed in my “suffering” and began to spill my guts out to her. Little did I know that it would forever be ingrained in her mind that Chris and I had it so bad up here…
I came home after my trip with the girls with so much concern for the way I talk to people and my concern became even more a stress when Chris said that I tend to almost always focus on the negative things when I tell people about our daily lives! It was like lightning struck me in such a tangible way that I was and still am very convicted of my actions and words! I feel as though God is telling me this, “be careful of how you paint your picture because you tend to leave out the very bright and colorful things…stop focusing on the dark colors! Show the bright colors too!” What I mean is this, sure there will be definite hard times but never leave out the fact that God shows Himself to be faithful and gives blessing after blessing in the hard times! The hard times come to build character and develop a deeper faith in God, teaching us how much we have to fully rely on Him. God isn’t punishing me because I did something wrong, He is just reminding me how much I truly need Him!
Many do not understand why in the world would we, a young and yes, impressionable and sometimes naive family, would take a job that could not compensate us in the beginning, but only in housing and live at least 14-16 hours from family and friends. Many will not understand why we do the things we do in the name of Christ but I can honestly say that through doing the things that even I don’t understand, God has answered so many prayers since we arrived in Maine! God never let us go without and we are well taken cared of because God has provided us with family and friends who support us financially and especially through prayer! God has been so good to us! God has shown significant miracles in our church and for that Chris and I are so thankful! We are blessed beyond measure and we know all of God’s plans are good! Chris and I would not have life any other way right now because we KNOW that we are in the center of God’s will! No textbook or professor can teach us what we are learning everyday being where we are now and we are continually thankful for this hands-on experience!
So for all those that I have embellished my story of how hard things have been, I am sorry! I want you all to know that God has truly shown Himself to be faithful and answered many prayers! So now, I will set out to paint the bright colors also—I will learn to show God’s amazing miracles from the dark trials!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
Blessed Be Your Name, Matt Redman Blessed Be Your Name In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name Blessed Be Your name When I'm found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed Be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name
