Doorway to a Solution

Recognizing a problem
is really
the 1st step
to recognizing the possibility
of a doorway to a solution.

Deeper

It seems like every believer in Christ,
every single one of us who choose to follow Him
and surrender to God's plans for our life,
we ALL at some time or another
face experiences that try to pull us away from God.

Like a giant powerful magnet...
thoughts cross our mind like,
"Does God SEE what is going on?"
"Does He even CARE?"
"What is going ON?"
"I can't take this much longer!"

We are given opportunity after opportunity
to give up, to turn and walk away,
to abandon God,
'cause it sure looks like that's what He has done to us.

It feels like He has forgotten us.
But the REAL TRUTH is...
He has NOT forgotten!
In fact, He is in the middle of something VERY BIG in our life,
at that very moment!
He is trying to take us deeper.
He is trying to take us to a deeper place of trusting Him,
of utter dependence on Him.

Will we trust Him?
Do we believe He is in charge, and is up to something good?
Do we believe He has good things planned for us?
Do we really believe that He loves us?

All of the bad is really a test.
The test allows us to KNOW HIM MORE.
Trust Him more.
To cry out to Him, and receive from His mighty and generous hands.

Will you trust Him?
Will you let Him take you deeper?
I know it is not easy.
I know it is not fun.
But it is worth it.
I promise!

Embracing Problems

Read "Jesus Calling" today, by Sarah Young.
The topic was about
embracing life’s problems, as they transform us into masterpieces.
Hmmm… Embrace problems? Really?
My 1st thought is
"No way! Yuck! Get them as far away from me as possible!
Icky-yucky-kaka-poo-poo!"

But as I read more, it began to appear that problems are like chisels.
The chip, gouge, and scrape away at us.
Ouch! I don’t like that.
Sarah encouraged us to trust God, and don’t defy His process.

If we trust God, it’s like our choice,
puts the chisel into His mighty and capable hands.
Then He masterfully, with the skill of a surgeon or master gardener,
gentle, carefully, wisely knows what to chip, gouge, scrape

& cut away from us,
in a manner that removes only the bad, dead, poisonous,
damaged, unneeded parts of us.
And He can do it with minimal pain, discomfort or further loss.
No mindless hacking.

So, I’m trying to be willing to embrace the problems,
knowing I can trust the Master Garden & Healer.
Choosing puts the chisel in His hands.

I do so want to be transformed into the masterpiece He has in mind.