…that I deeply believe, was written by this woman, Barbara. I believe it, and it jolts me back when I remember it, but I think I struggle with it. Thus the jolt.
As can be seen in some of my recent… and if you had the patience to dig through, not so recent posts, is my shattered expectations for the Church and Christianity as it is practiced. As it has been held up for me by the reputed experts and pillars. Not what God spoke or promised, but what those in His name have held forth for me. For my family. For my world.
I have been shattered and not healed… and it has been a long time now. So long that I have begun to waver a bit towards being resigned that it will always be so, for me. That I still rail on so vehemently is probably the residue of hope. And when people such as Barbara say such things that remind me… that hope glows just a bit.
The world says it isn’t over til the fat lady sings, a Christian would probably say until the last trump sounds…although maybe not;)
A good many years ago now, the Lord gave me an insight into a passage in Corinthians that had the same message: that none of our failures or our losses are wasted in God’s economy for our lives. We learn from them to provide the comfort we have been comforted with for others, others that will surely come along the same path of broken glass and potsherds. I remember that now.
Being Barbara, Being Mum, Being Me » Back to work….
When what we have does not match what we expect then this equals disappointment.
We need to remember that his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts and we must remember that God is in control. He takes care of our basic needs. He does care. There is an expression “where there is life, there is hope†but we need to turn that around to read that where there is hope there is life. God never wastes a hurt. He turns it upside down and uses these things for our good – if only we will let him.
Love you sister!
You do seem like one of those big hearted people that love the unloveable:)
That’s because I regularly look into my Mirror!
Dear Ilona,
As you will have read, I been brought to my knees recently about this particular thing and I have comfort in those words in Isiaih 55 which I quoted. It also says
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
and remember, where there is hope, there is life.
May God bless you , and keep you and may his light shine upon you.
In Jesus name
Amen.
The things you wrote so impressed me, Barbara, that I was in danger of stealing your blog! I just kept wanting to highlight things you said….
Most of the credit should go to the speaker Christine though – but it came from God, through whoevers mouth (or fingers) were used to communicate it……