Quote: Don't confuse your path with your destination...

Bitterness

In church today Ps. Charles Niemand spoke about asking God to be RECOVERED, so that our grief does not turn into bitterness, for bitterness soon turns into hostility if it has been nurtured for too long.

Don't focus on the "Why me?" type of questions, that we so readily ask ourselves when things happen that leave us feeling shattered, because it doesn't change anything that has happened. All it will do is hold you back. 

2 Corinthians 11:24-29

²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.^[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

²⁸ Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul faced all these terrible things and didn't once ask, "Why me?" He knew that even though he was going through troubled times, his God had not forsaken him. Instead, he chose to be proud of his weakness because that is when  the Lord's power works best. His grace is all we need to gain strength. 

Always remember that the whole universe is NOT against you! You are not the only one that is facing or has faced some really tough things. Turn your eyes back to the Lord and your spirit will be renewed. Don't give up hope, for the Lord has overcome the world and He will never leave your side. 

"A chance to start over"

"When a natural disaster - such as a flood or a fire - ravages the landscape, it gives Mother Nature a chance to start over. She gets to build things in a new and inspired way. Trees will rise up through the devastation. The river may take a different course. Flowers and other vegetation may take advantage of the new canvas and sprout up in unexpected places. Even though you have been through something emotional, you are not in ruins. You will soon have a chance to spring up from a feeling of devastation and rise once again toward the sun."

Just keep driving

A lady was driving along with her father. 

They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, "What should I do?" 

But he simply said, "keep driving."

Cars began to pull over to the side of the road, the storm was getting worse. 

"What should I do." The young lady asked again? 

"Keep driving," her father replied.

Further down the road, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over.

So she told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!" 

Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"

Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out. 

Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out."

She asked, "But why now?" 

And he replied, "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm. Because you never gave up, your storm is now over."

*** 

Just because everyone else, including the strongest, gives up, doesn't mean that you should as well. If you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine upon your face again.