God will make each trial a blessing...

When you have been in a situation or a trial before, what did you do? Did you think "why me, why is this happening to me?" or did you think " Thank you Lord for working with me to become more faithful to you and for using this to show me how to do that". Well, I know it's hard to always feel 100% trustworthy in the Lord. When troubles arise with me, my first response is what can I do to fix this? Which is the wrong thing to do. He doesn't want us to sit and think of what we can do to fix it, but instead he wants us to fully rely on Him and let him show us the way. Last week, a problem that we have been having arose again. That night I began to read in one of my devotion books, and it was amazing how God spoke right up and said, "I'm here, don't worry, I am going to take care of you". (I love feeling those little tugs at my heart, it is the best feeling in the world!) Now, I don't know God's plan in this situation, it might not be what I would like to happen, but it might be more trials ahead first. He only knows what he is going to do for us. Yesterday at church, we were asked if we had asked God to use us fully lately? To take control of our lives and to surrender all to Him. He said that it might have been a month ago when we asked last but we need to do it everyday. We need to let God know everyday that we want him to use us fully for him. I needed to hear that. I needed to hear a lot of what the three preachers said yesterday at homecoming!

I recently asked God to mend the past for me, I asked the Lord to bring anything I needed to be forgiven of so I could confess it to Him. Right away I thought of several people that I have hurt in the past. I thought of people that I went to school with a long time ago. I thought of cruel words I might have thought about them or said about them, jealously I might have had against them for various, immature reasons. Nothing major but just things that once are said, you can't take them back. I knew that I had to make it right. I thought of people I might have made upset lately, people that might have gotten the wrong impression of me when I was having a bad day or when I was quick to speak when I should have listened. I thought of lots of bad memories that hurt me so bad that I had to make it right or my heart would have ruptured. If you are reading this and for some reason I have done something to you in the past or even recently that I may or may not be aware of, I apologize! I want to be your sister in Christ. I do not want to harbour hurtful feelings towards you. I hope you know that. I sent out some emails to three people in particular. I got two of the sweetest emails back that made me feel so much better. One of them said, " I would love to be your friend!" What great words that was for me to read! If only I had asked before! The other one said " their is no need to apologize, I don't have any bad feelings towards you". Now we are talking about things that have bothered me for years. Some of these things I have felt bad about since High school and God took it away just like that. Isn't that amazing?

I pray that I will become wise in my ways and in my words. I pray that when I speak I give reasons of hope, truth and words that are gracious. Help me find the words that speak life to those around me.
Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.