Saturday, November 19, 2011

Blessings

What are blessings? Children, home, car, money??? I don't see those as blessings; I'm grateful for these wonderful gifts but what is a blessing?

When the Holy Spirit is present, when my desires are replaced with His, when He whispers an answer to a question, this is a blessing.

Are we truly blessed to live in a place with little violence, many hospitals and doctors, the ability to buy whatever food we desire? Or, are we just replacing the need for Him to be with us on an everyday, every minute basis. The more we have the less we want Him to guide us and be there with us. The struggles and hurts are when He is most present.

No one likes pain or suffer; I don't know anyone who desires it. When can we see His face most clearly?

I find myself envious of those who struggle and suffer. That is where He is most vocal. My easy, content life is not where He is most present.

Please understand that we can not make our own drama, though. I believe that is frowned upon. The kind of struggle that I'm talking about is the hard, raw pain of the past, a new-found sickness or disease, the fear of the future because of a tainted past.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Beautiful Pain

Beautiful pain, also called God wanting us to meet Him in it. Pain can make us do things we would never do, hurt those that we love, say things that we want to take back later. If only we can reach to Him in our pain before we reach out to those we love. He will provide a buffer and let us see the purpose behind the pain.
The other, and sometimes, more dangerous are the people who keep their pain to themselves. No one knows how bad it is. This will disintegrate someone. Bitterness is the mask for pain.
Those that don't deal with their pain in healthy ways will continue living in the dark, aching cycle. It never changes because they don't truly understand how good the pain can be and what the use of it is.
The people I enjoy the most have experienced the most pain and know what use it serves. They share their experiences of pain and how God helped them to overcome. They are beautifully shaped by the pain and want that for others.