31 Days
towards
I've changed my mind about the subject matter I'm going to blog about today. Oh, it will still be relevant to the abundant life...it's just that I feel burdened to write about this today instead...
Day 3
Through the fire
Through the fire
What prompted me to change my mind about today's blog was a conversation I had with one of my daughters the other day. I was digging around in my scrapbook supplies trying to find fun papers, numbers, and letters etc... when she asked me what I was doing. I explained that I have been trying to make a button for my blog to link it to other blogs that are committed to doing 31 days of blogging in Feb. (FYI the scrapbook graphic turned out cute but I still can't figure out the button thingy). Anyways, that conversation led to me telling her about the topic that I'm blogging on: "31 Days toward the abundant life." I explained how I was deeply burdened by the fact that non-Christians don't get to experience the abundant life. But just as concerning to me is the fact that many Christians do not walk in the abundant life that's theirs in Christ now. In response she said "it's just not that easy mom." I said, "I know honey, I'm not saying it's easy, but it is possible."
Her words have continued to ring in my ears ever since. After all, this is my child who lost two people she really cared about in less then a year. One friend drowned and the other was murdered. Shortly after her dad (my ex-husband) was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She is a daddy's girl and this devastated her. God healed that bout with cancer, but unfortunately the cancer has returned. This young woman has gone through a lot of heartache in a short amount of time. My heartbreaks for her and I would never ever want to minimize the pain she feels!
As I would be heartbroken if I thought you might think that I in anyway might want to minimize your pain or ask you to tuck it in the back of your mind and pretend everything is o.k. That is not what this series is about, at all!
I promise you that if you stick with me I will share with you why in some of my hardest most painful trials I still had a deep abiding joy, peace, and comfort. Not that I didn't cry out to God in pain, I did! And He met me there in it. Not that I wasn't angry, I was! And He helped me through it. Not that I did everything right all the time every moment, I didn't! I even lashed out at the one who hurt me. I remember in my pain and anguish crying out to God in repentance and being so completely overwhelmed by His grace and love all the while knowing I did not deserve a single ounce of it! That my dear beloved sisters, is the greatest love I have ever known and strangely enough that day was one of my sweetest moments in the presence of Christ! All of the above and so much more is what we will talk about in the coming days!
Dear sweet sisters, hear my heart! I want you to know the depth of Christs love in greater ways then what I have!!! I'm not going to promise you a pain free life. In fact if you follow Christ you will suffer. Don't let those words scare you off, because as said in "Day 2" it is a far worse misery to be without Christ then with Him (you may want to get a hold of a Bible and read Matthew 10:28 as well). Besides didn't I say that the Christian life is an abundant life. Yes, there may be suffering but also the greatest joy and satisfaction you can ever know or experience is found in serving a God who loves you more deeply then any person ever has or will!
I also, can attest to the fact that when you walk with Christ you can suffer deep wounds and pain from another and not be bitter. We will have a whole post on bitterness, but let me say this one thing. Bitterness destroys you and every relationship you have with others and it does nothing to the one your angry with! Ponder this: is it worth it? Or would it be better to hand the one your angry with over to a just God to deal with? That's a post for another day...maybe tomorrow...we shall see... praying for you dear ones!!!
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