Pain

Pain, something we all experience. Something that comes into our life at some point or other and is everywhere and experienced by all. Pain can be hard to accept and something we usually want to be through dealing with as soon as we can. But pain has taught me an important lesson. If I allow God to use that pain and I allow Him to grow me using it, the pain feels so worth it. But if I try to stamp it down and dwell on it, the pain just hurts me more and longer than necessary. I am not saying pain is easy or fun, just that God will and does use it, if we allow Him to do so!

Pain comes in many different forms. Sometimes it comes by the hand of someone else, sometimes I can inflict it upon myself, and sometimes God allows things to come into my life that causes me pain but each and every time if I allow God to use it for His honor and glory as well as for my good, in the end it will be worth it.

All the times that I have experienced pain I can say that it has been worth it. Each time, as I allowed God to use it, He has drawn me closer to Him and there have been times that pain has brought dear people closer to me in a way that other things wouldn't have! Looking back over the last year, there have been seasons of pain but always from and through that pain has come many blessings. Right now I am dealing with some things that are causing me pain but the reason I can smile and lift my head up are because I know that God has my best in store and He has a reason for this. He is refining me and drawing me closer to Him and for that I am thankful!

So whatever you may be facing right now, whatever sort of pain, ask the Lord to show you something for which to be thankful in that pain; also allow Him to use it to draw you closer to Him. Even if right now, things seem more than you can handle, trust that the Lord knows best and He will carry you through whatever you are facing!

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

-1 Peter 4:12-14

Giving Thanks In All Things

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

-Ephesians 5:20

The subject of gratitude has been on my mind a lot lately. I have been doing the 30 days of Gratitude in the back of this book, Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh Demoss and at the moment I am a little over halfway through. So God has been teaching me a lot about gratitude and how to be grateful for all things and in all things.

Recently I have had a few things come into my life and I have found that despite these things that I could complain about, there are a host of things that instead I can be grateful for. On Sunday, two weeks ago, someone ran into my sister and I when we were coming home from church. Well since then the insurance company has totaled my car and tomorrow it gets picked up. But I have been marveling at how even though the car is totaled and with the different things that come with that, there are many more things of which I can be thankful! One being, though my car is totaled, I am getting money to go towards another car. Another thing I can be thankful for, no one got seriously injured in the accident. Also, now though I don't have a vehicle, the insurance company is paying for a rental car for 7 days and hopefully in those 7 days I can get a vehicle. If not, I do know that God has a something already worked out if that should happen. I can't explain maybe exactly everything but I have seen God's hand through all these things and He has come through for me each and every time even though at points it felt like things were not going to work out! I am so thankful for what God has been doing and I am excited to see how He will continue to work in my life!

So my challenge to you is that though it may be hard to give thanks for your circumstances, look for something in and through that circumstance for which you can thank God! Sometimes it takes a bit of looking and searching but there will be something!!

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

-1 Thessalonians 5:18