Humbled and Amazed

Ok, I admit it, I broke my New Year's resolution last week. I do have an excuse though, if you would like to hear it. In a span of four days I started a new job, got engaged, and worked two overnight shifts in a row. Somehow I didn't quite get around to writing a blog for some reason...hmmm.

But here I am, attempting to keep my resolution once more. This is going to be a short post but hopefully it will be encouraging.

2010 was a hard year for me. God tested me in ways that broke my heart so many times. I had to make impossible choices that a lot people didn't understand, and my only justification for them was that I was doing what I thought God was asking me to. There were days when I had to just try to make it through the day with out disintegrating. There were months when I watched my entire world crumble before me. And during the course of the entire year, God asked me to surrender almost everything that is important to me, with the very real possibility that He was going to take it away. It's easy to trust God when life is easy, but much harder when trusting means sacrifice. Many times last year I prayed for a miracle, knowing in my heart that I didn't have enough faith to believe that God would do it. But something amazing happened.

God heard my prayer, and He answered me.

God took everything away from me, and then He gave it all back. Everything I prayed for last year God has done. When I think of that, I am overwhelmed by His love for me. He could have taken everything away from me and still I would have served Him, because I live my life for His glory, however He chooses to show it. But He didn't, because His plan involved blessing me beyond my wildest dreams. I don't know why, but I don't have to. I still live my life for the glory of God, however He chooses to show it. Feast or famine, desert or paradise, my life is God's to use for His glory.

When I think back to those dark days it still hurts, but I'm grateful for them. My faith grew so much because it was so hard. If you are going through a trial right now, I'm sorry. I know how hard it can be. But remember the hope we have have through Jesus Christ. If you believe in His death for your sins, and His resurrection three days later, than you have the promise of a future where He will wipe away all of the tears from your eyes, and where there will be no more death, nor crying, nor pain. The trials we experience only last during this life, Beloved, and after that, we have eternity to spend with Jesus in glorious paradise. Cling to that hope.