God is working

I really enjoyed today's devotion and wanted to share, as well as add some of my own comments along the way! I hope this helps some of you that have expressed frustration in your own lives too.

God is working, regardless of how you feel
by Rick Warren

That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away. (Hebrews 2:1 TEV)
As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process - Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV)

This is where I am struggling, because although I do trust in God, I often get frustrated with the ways in which he is working in my life. I pray hard about something and His answer can sometimes be scary, challenging and nothing close to what I had hoped for. But I know that in the past, these are the times when God is really testing me, helping me build my faith and forcing me to use the strength that is deep down inside of me. It's all part of my spiritual growth.

There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter).

Okay, I admit it: I feel like I am in a season of fall and winter, especially these past two weeks. A lot of changes have happened in my life and my family's life, but I also do know that life is full of seasons and God may have BIG plans for my spring and summer, who knows! Patience is the key here, because life is full of ups and downs and without the downs, we would never learn anything or grow into the people that God intends for us to be.

What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It's fine to pray for a miracle, but don't be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall.

If only life were so easy and things could "miraculously" change, but this is and will never be how life goes for any of us. I used to pray and wait for the answers to just come to me the next day, because I didn't fully understand that faith often means patiently waiting for God to do His work in our lives in His time. More recently, something I have been praying about for weeks now is slowly coming together, but I am not jumping the gun. I know that it will still take more time and I will continue to be challenged in being patient for God to guide me. When in doubt, I need to remember to just look away from the circumstances of my life and simply look up to God.

Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation (Psalm 102:18; 2 Timothy 3:14)

Entry for today: Juliana is confused, sad and emotional. Yes, she is a typical 2 year old, but she's also dealing with her daddy being away. I know that she doesn't understand exactly why daddy is gone, but the lesson for me has just been to hold her, love her, kiss her and constantly reassure her that mommy and daddy love her and that daddy will be home soon. I think God is using Jacob's business trip to also teach me how to look inside myself for the courage and strength to handle a lot of different things all at once. And hey, I'm still here, so I must be doing something right!

The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache. The Bible says, "It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off." (Hebrews 2:1 Msg)

I have learned this the hard way and I know I will go through it again. God does not just hand us a solution on a silver platter. He waits for the time to be right and sometimes that means He will tests us numerous times. Often times, we may be praying for the wrong thing and God is simply waiting for us to change direction in our prayers. As parents, I think this is especially important to remember as we go through each stage of our children's lives. We learn more about ourselves through the eyes of our children.

God bless everyone. Jacob, we love you and miss you. Can't wait to have you home. Juliana said her prayers for her daddy tonight before bed...wish I have the video camera for this one, it was precious!