It's been a while since my last post, but God has really been working me over and teaching me some real life lessons. Most of you who follow this blog already know our story and so just by way of update; Karen is half way through chemotherapy and only has 7 more radiation treatments left. All in all she is doing very well considering everything she has been through. We are thankful that she has not been sick or had any severe side effects. She is extremely fatigued and easily worn out the last couple of weeks, but if that is the worst of it then we are grateful.
Here's the thing that God has been doing in my heart recently; He is teaching me to hold my life and plans with palms up. In other words to hold everything dear to me with open hands. To be ready, and even thankful when He changes things in my life because He always knows whats best even when I don't understand ... and He has never once made a mistake. Lots of folks say they want God's will, but then get upset or even bitter when He brings uncomfortable situations in their life to mold them. I want to be exactly where He wants me and that means trusting His plan more than my own. So, I must make it a theme in my life to be satisfied with His sovereignty and to be flexible and even grateful when God makes....
Changes
A crisp chill in the morning air
Says autumn is almost here
Cancer stole our summer
Soon fall will disappear
Fall will fade into winter
And eventually will come the spring
Life is constantly changing
There’s no telling what it will bring
You may think you have it all figured out
With your plans all set in place
But it’s amazing how fast life can change
In a flash it can all be erased
When everything you hold dear is gone
And you’re unsure what your future will be
That’s when you find out who you really are
And what you really believe
Will you run to God when that moment comes
Or will you turn away
Will you open wide your heart to Him
Or will the trials cause your heart to stray
For trouble is simply a part of life
Sure as the seasons come and go
And how we respond in each circumstance
Determines how much we will grow
You see suffering doesn’t change who we are
It simply reveals what’s true
Just like an orange when it gets squeezed
What comes out is the real you
Pr 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ec 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Some people may think that God brings testing in our lives to find out how we will react and to see who we really are...but the truth is that He often brings the testing so that WE can find out who we really are and how we will react. God already knows the answer. We learn much more about ourselves in the storm than we can ever learn in the calm. Because when the pressure is on and we are squeezed, what comes out is what was on the inside all along. It's like the saying goes, "some get bitter and some get better"... I want to come out the other side of the trial better, not bitter.
