Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1Peter 4:12,13 (NIV)
Most all of us have some type of goals in life or at least aspirations of what we hope our life will be like. Usually, society and others around us influence our desires, things such as, true love, healthy children, beauty, a new home, a successful career with a hefty income, and an upstanding reputation. The grass always seems greener on the other side doesn't it? We always seem to think if only I had this or that I would be so happy, but we know deep down true happiness and contentment comes from only one place, God.
If we did have a choice of all that would happen in our life, why would we ever choose catastrophe, we wouldn't right. We would never choose to lose a loved one, lose a job, or even lose respect from others. Lets be honest what we all really desire is to have an ordinary, mundane, average life. I'm not saying it is by any means good to desire bad things to happen, but when these bad things happen, it gives God the opportunity to do amazing, surprising and astonishing things. We need to be open to and ready for God to shake things up a bit.
I think sometimes that I have something engraved in my mind that makes me worry about things going wrong. If my husband is ten minutes late I assume he has been in a car accident. Or when I am talking to my sister on the phone and we suddenly get cut off, I automatically think an intruder has broken in. The thought of losing one of them is unbearable to me, but one day all of our lives will come to an end and that is when our real life will start. I should put some of that energy of worrying towards the ones I may not get to spend eternity with, the unsaved.
God is able to understand how short our lives really are, and how long eternity is. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV) Lets stop thinking how wonderful our life could be, and take the challenges God has place before us and watch him do the extraordinary.
Father, Thank you for not giving me everything I want, thank you for showing me how amazing and real you are, for turning pain into hope. Thank you that this life is not the end.
Sarah Hostetler
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