Nov 18, 2010
I’ve been learning a lot lately about being the bride of Christ. And a lot about trusting God–fully and implicitely. Because you shouldn’t marry someone unless you trust them completely in every area, right? 🙂 That was always my assumption anyway.
But that assumption was challenged by a comment from Charlotte Lucas in the movie Pride and Prejudice: “He does not know her character as we do. . .but there is plenty of time for us to get to know him after they’re married.” The idea, in a nutshell, was that since Jane Bennett and Charles Bingley were well acquainted enough to trust each other on a superficial level (and since they were obviously in love), they should go ahead and tie the knot because, after all, they will get to know each other better after they are married. Of course, the story is set in a time when marriage was a much higher priority on everyone’s agenda, so sometimes people got married for less chivalrous ideas than love and romance, but still. . .it seems a logical plan of action, as long as you take into consideration that any relationship founded mostly on emotions is bound to be tested at some point. There comes a time when you have to trust each other’s character when the emotions aren’t there.
I’ve been struggling with learning to trust God well enough not to question His ways. I’m trying to learn to trust God’s character, even when it seems like what He’s allowing me to go through could hardly be an expression of His love. To trust that He really is working all things for my good, even when I can’t possibly see what that good might be. I know that a certain level of blind faith is involved, but I also want to have something to base that trust on. And hearing that quote made me see a parallel: when I initially began my relationship with God, all I needed to know was that He loved me SO MUCH, and that He could save me when I could not save myself. Essentially, God knows that I need to trust His love first of all, and then learn to trust His character as I get to know Him better.
As I was journaling and praying, trying to make sense in my mind what exactly I was asking from God, I felt silly asking the God of the universe to prove Himself before I could trust Him; but I feel that trust, by definition, is something to be earned, not just given. And it seemed as if Jesus read my heart and sent me the answer I was looking for–in an entry from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers:
“God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him–a faith that says, ‘I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.’ The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is–‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’ (Job 13:15).
So, simply believing in God is easy. The difficulty in trusting God lies in when I am waiting for His character to be proven trustworthy, when I can’t see what He’s accomplishing through my hard times. And that’s when I have to remember that He does love me, so much. And I can rest and put my trust in His love.
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” ~Psalm 13:5-6
Please like and share this post:
Aug 13, 2010
It sure does feel strange to be graduated from the School of Discipleship and right between coming back on staff with GFA, and not gone yet. I’m glad for the chance to stay here longer to help out in the office during the craziness of the new data change, and to help train the new student that will take my place in the Volunteer department. But it doesn’t leave much time for processing all that has happened this year and the last few hectic weeks of class. So I was re-reading my latest Owley Report (Newsletter) and here are the things I wrote about.
- The Bonsai House! This is my last newsletter while living in the Bonsai house. I’m going to miss my roommates that became like sisters. I’m sure glad we will spend eternity together! Check out some stuff we did on Youtube! Just search “Ninjacat12890”
- We went evangelizing for the third of July.
- My entire School of Discipleship class. We had a bunch of fun together and learned a lot from God this year. I’m glad I got to go through it all with them. I’m never going to forget this year that we spent together.
- We got the chance to challenge ourselves by participating in a ropes course together. Some of the challenges were trust exercises, jumping off a 25 foot pole onto a trapeze bar, and climbing a 30 foot rock wall followed by a zip-line. It was awesome! Not to mention the fact that we saw an armadillo! Alive!!!
- We have one more week of classes left! Recently we finished the book Stoked, by Danny Lehman. It was very challenging, and I enjoyed it. Next we go through one of Uncle KP’s booklets called Stay Encouraged. Before we go through that though, we had to give 10 minute speeches on a verse or passage in the Bible that God used in our lives this year. I gave mine on Romans 8:28.
- On July 20, 2010 the August School of Discipleship class of 2009 graduated. It was an amazing ceremony, Uncle Gayle Erwin, author of The Jesus Style spoke, and the students each shared a parting gift of encouragement and thanks to the staff and families of GFA. This has been an amazing year full of growth, laughter, and love. Four of us are coming back on staff after we go back for support raising. The other three are all going home to see what the Lord’s plan is for them. Please be praying for each of us in our journeys with God. 🙂
Even though those last weeks were packed full of lessons from God, fun activities, and lots of cleaning, it was awesome to spend it with my class. Our class really did become like a little family unit within the GFA family, and I will continue to pray for my amazing friends/brothers/sisters.
Please like and share this post:
Jul 30, 2010
The Love of God
MercyMe
(1) The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.
CHORUS:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall for evermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
(2) When years of time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race-The saints’ and angels’ song.
(3) Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.
Please like and share this post:
Jun 24, 2010
This is a Song that has really blessed my heart. I thought I would share it with you!
Better Than a Hallelujah
Amy Grant
God loves a lullaby
In a mothers tears in the dead of night
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes
God loves a drunkard’s cry
A soldier’s plea not to let him die
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes
We pour out our misery
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Better than a hallelujah
The woman holding on for life
The dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a hallelujah sometimes
Tears of shame for what’s been done
The silence when the words won’t come
Are better than a hallelujah sometimes
We pour out our misery
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
the honest cries of breaking hearts
Better than a hallelujah
Better than a church bell ringing
Better than a choir singing out, singing out
We pour out our misery
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
the honest cries of breaking hearts
Better than a hallelujah
Please like and share this post:
Jun 22, 2010
Today I woke up feeling very discouraged. It seemed as though everything that could go wrong, was going wrong. Not to mention that I hadn’t gotten a ton of restful sleep that night. I got to the office, knowing that this feeling of mine was just an attack of the enemy trying to derail me from all that God is doing in my life and through my life. When I got to my desk, the first thing I did after logging into my outlook, is send an email to my house mates and mentor asking that they pray for me.
Not long after that I got emails back from everyone, and they each were encouraging. Praise God for people that I can go to when I’m hurting, and they can pray for me and help me turn away from my self-centeredness and turn my focus back to God where it belongs. This is how the body of believers is supposed to act. Continually lifting each other up in prayer and not discouraging one another through silly bickering that doesn’t effect eternity at all, but distracts us from fulfilling all that God is calling us to do.
One of the emails I got, encouraged me to make a list of all the things God has been faithful in specifically, and of all the praises I can think of. So that is what I’m going to do next. If you want, you can read them below, but if not, that’s perfectly fine. I’m going to make the list below so that I can always go back to it if I need to and I can also be encouraging to others who might be feeling the same as me today.
– God has given me another day in Him to reach the world for eternity
– God has healed me from all of the wounds of my past
– God is faithfully providing the support that I need so I can come back on staff
– My mom gave me a car for when I’m back on staff
– My brother is growing and maturing in the Lord
– God is watching out for all of my loved ones, a task that I could never do as well as Him.
– God is giving me the opportunity to reach the lost in the way I’ve always dreamed of
– He has faithfully healed me from all of my illnesses.
– He is the ONLY one that knows my thoughts better than myself. Thank goodness.
-He loves ME unconditionally!
There are many more where that came from, but even just focusing on the ones above, I’m feeling so much better. Praise God!
Please like and share this post:
Page 8 of 10« First«...78910»
Recent Comments