Thank you all for your continued prayers for my health. I get a few inquiries here and there, and I do appreciate it. I was able to play about 5 hours of volleyball yesterday (Sunday), and was not too winded when I decided I had played enough. My heart rate and rhythm remains in good shape. And my watch told me that I need to focus on resting today as I did about three times the steps that I had set as my goal. Of course, my watch just told me I need to get up and move as I have apparently been sitting too long doing this Monument Monday post. Technology, right?
I gave my adult Sunday School talk yesterday. I spoke about what God taught me while I was in the hospital contemplating my mortality. As I have stated here, I believe that God was bringing me to a place where I completely trust in Him. That over the years of my life He has brought me to helpless reliance on Him for my mental health, my family, my finances, my spiritual health, and now my physical health. I’m not sure what is left, but I’m not confident in myself to fully rely on God for everything. I like to be in control, so I’m sure there are other things God will need to wrest from my grip that I don’t have anyway.
I got a number of comments after my talk that this spoke so well of that person’s life as they too are control freaks. I’m glad that my life experiences can help others. This is Biblical. God has us all go through things that can in turn help others going through similar things. And while going through these disciplinary times aren’t pleasant, our faith is strengthened by the trials. Much as we gain strength through physical training, which is equally not pleasant (think “no pain no gain”), so it is with all character traits. Everything must be tested and worked to get stronger. If you want more patience, you must go through situations that test your patience. You can’t just ask for patience, and demand it ‘right now’ and God give it to you. All virtues and good character traits need a measure of adversity to grow.
Life was never meant to be easy. And anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you something. Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble, and James says that we are to consider it joy to face trials. God is building His church, and He is getting the glory for it all, which is why we are here in the first place. We are learning to trust in the Lord with all our heart, learning to seek Him first, learning to delight ourselves in the Lord. When we develop our relationship with the Lord, then Psalm 37:4 says He will produce in us the desires He wants us to have. And all along He puts us in situations and circumstances to test our faith so that He can continue to build His church and so He gets the glory. This is the Christian life.
I am going through Proverbs now, and I see it over and over how we are to live and act in every aspect of our lives. This in turn affects us mentally, in our family, our finances, our spiritual health and…our…physical…health. Hmmmm. It kind of sounds like we not only need to read the Bible, but we need to dare to believe our beliefs. And the God who loves us as His children will discipline us as a loving father BECAUSE we are His kids. And BECAUSE He loves us.
No matter what happens to us, God is there with us. He is teaching us that nothing happens by accident. Everything has a purpose. It is all in His plan. I am realizing this more and more, and if God gives me another 30+ years on this earth, I plan to learn it more until my work is done and He calls me home. And THAT is the best retirement plan anyone can have.
Amen
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