[Anonymous December 17, 1996 at 2:28 pm Post count: 93172]

#1057666

Caroline, Last week I said some terrible days, too. After I got through
whining and letting out my frustration, I turned to my daily devotions. Sure enough,
the next several days were ones that brought things into much better persepective
for me. First was in Isaiah 43, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not
be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Well, I noticed it does NOT say that “you will not
get your feet wet, or clothes soaked; doesn’t say you will not smell like smoke and feel too hot for
comfort. But it does say you won’t be drowned and you won’t be burned…because He is with you.
Next, I had a visit in the book of Job…his wife was nagging him to just give it up, curse God for
all the crap that had happned to him and nix his integrity. Job replied,
“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
I love to feel blessed, don’t we all? I’m NOT so good at accepting trials! The next day I
was in Lamentations, in chapter 3 the prophet Jeremiah gives a long list of
his griefs, complaints and woes…but then suddenly reminds himself and the reader,
“yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great
love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your
faithfulness. I say to myself, The lord is my portion, therefore I will wait
for Him.” I like the fact that Jeremiah is NOT afraid to complain to God (he knows our
hearts anyhow) and after dumping all over the place, then he comes to this realization
and it gives him comfort. I’ve learned through reading Psalms and Jeremiah that
it is no sin to feel like crap and dump all that frustration in intimate conversation with
God, and I’ve also discovered it helps a great deal! Oh I still had insomnia for
several nights, still had my husband lacking in the helping hands department, but
I had the knowledge and peace in my heart that I was not alone, that Someone who
understood better than I do is with me.

I loved Jake’s Thoughts at Large. Makes me realize how I’ve been in this
“victim” mindset for far, too long. “In know in all things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 I have Graves’, but there are people in
worse boats than I….I can spend my time much better praying for them.

I’ll be praying that you have some terrific days ahead of you! Glynis

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