Hey there, friends, fellow RSD/CRPS Fighters, & Pain & Illness Warriors, Its been awhile since I last shared with you guys, but know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers the whole time. Ive had some painfully tough days of late, but, by Gods grace and love, Im still standing and learning from the adversities that, at first glance, seek to tear me down, but in actuality, are opportunities for me to grow, as I learn about myself, about Gods goodness and grace, how to depend upon Him which strengthens my faith, perseverance and patience, and how to help others who also may be facing a challenging experience, possibly even greater than mine. In life, most times when we face our such enormous trials, we find that there was little we couldve done to have prevented it from happening to begin with, or, even to have anticipated its arrival. We find that the only aspect under our control is how we respond to it, and whether to use the burdensome event for our benefit in the future. Our best chance of gleaning such valuable instruction & wisdom is with Gods help. And to access His help we must pray. Therefore, Im grateful for those of you who regularly pray for me, because it connects us in a very significant way. For our prayers for one another are the most selfless, generous expressions of love we can give in this life, as were petitioning the Source of ALL good things & life, itself, God Almighty, for the benefit & continued blessings of others, which pleases Him, because in showing our love for them, we show our love for Him, as well. And as we practice intercession for one another, Christ intercedes for us with our Father, as He continuously shows His love for us. I just want to thank you for your caring and generosity of spirit. Id like to share the following devotional with you: Turning Clouds Inside Out Scripture Passage: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. --Genesis 50:20 Josephs brothers did him an awful injustice, but it turned out to be a cloud with a silver lining. It became the means whereby he rose to the second-highest office in Egypt, and thus enabled him to save the multitudes from seven years of famine, including own people. When our plans are frustrated and we are saddled with pressing burdens, there is always the possibility of becoming bitter and rebellious. Grumbling so often follows disappointment. A scoffer is usually a person whose expectations and hopes have been dashed. He saw a cloud but not its silver lining. It is highly imperative, therefore, that we turn our clouds inside out so that we can see bigger hopes and brighter dreams. The inner side of every cloud is bright and shining; I therefore turn my clouds about And always wear them inside out To show the lining. --Ellen Thorncroft Fowler One of the most trying tests of life is how we meet adverse circumstances. I like the way the great Paganini met it. When his favorite violin was broken, he accepted the loss as a challenge and got another one. He said, I will show them the music is in me and not in the instrument. It is much easier to put back together the broken pieces of a dream when you learn to say as Paul said, My God shall supply all [my] needs, and when you have the grit to say, as Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. To those of you who may wonder why I share such inspirational, motivational, ,and hope-inspired narratives, I do so because there are so many people in this world who are have faced or are facing tremendous pain, affliction and adversity, that pushes them daily closer to the precipice of desperation, depression, and to the point of giving up on life, in part, because they feel that no one cares enough about their plight or circumstances to offer them a shoulder to lean on, an ear to bend, or a hand to lift them up from where they may be at that moment. They may be isolated, without friends or family to support them, or they may feel that they just dont matter to others, which is a lonely, hopeless place to be, and no way to live life. I understand and can empathize with such people, because Ive been there, myself, ready to give up because of the constant pain, hopelessness and loneliness, unsure of what value I had to God and others. Until He showed me one day, in a personalized cathartic set of circumstances, that He truly loved me, and had forgiven me of the weight Id carried for so long, and that He had work for me to do with others who were suffering just as I did, who needed to be encouraged, inspired and motivated to hang on, because they werent alone, to be told that God cares for their circumstances and loves them dearly, and that brighter days lay ahead. For, indeed, we can do ALL things through Him Who gives us strength. Indeed, we can. Recently, He reaffirmed my purpose with this passage of Scripture, and it solidified my determination to continue, to share with others in an effort to help: [He] comforts us in all our affliction (tribulation), so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ (II Cor. 1:4,5, CSB). We were put here to affect lives of our neighbors through compassion, kindness, consideration and love, much the same as Jesus did when He walked among us over 2000 years ago . And, as He teaches me to pray for others, I ask my Father to give me the heart and mind of Jesus, Who loved people so much that He was willing to die for them, even while they cursed, mocked and spat on Him. I dont expect too many people to understand why I want to make such a difference in our world of me, myself and I-oriented philosophies. I just want to bring comfort to others, as God has brought comfort to me and my family. I just to do what I can to help & love others, as my Father asks me to do. Because He smiles when I do, & I love to see my ABBA Father smile! I guess you can say that its a heart thing. And Hes continuing to change mine. I hope that this blesses someone, and brings comfort to their life.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:30:11 +0000
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