What if I told you that my writings are a desire to leave a sure guide to myself, my family, and friends for uncertain times ahead?
What if I told you some of my regrets? That I have been thankful for the roses in my life but not valued the thousands of thorns.
What if I told you, I sat in my "tent" and complained? Author Ian Thomas warns grumblers like me, "Ignoring what you need, you will begin to clamor for what you want, and if you are not careful~God will give it to you!"
What if I told you, I would like to be transported back to the many blessings and benefits that God has showered me with? What if I told you how often God has caused His benefits to pass over me and how poorly I have responded to that goodness through those benefits?
What if I told you, one of the reasons I am so drawn to Spurgeon writings is that he was so skilled in the use of words and his descriptions so honestly and blunt found great comfort and delight in God's Word. His frequent use of illustrations from common incidents and fiery use of words are fascinating to me. "...beneath the magnificent canopy of the blue sky..." or "...among the trees and garden to feed in quietness."
What if I told you that this quote struck at my very bones:
"On looking back upon the character of our prayers, if we do it honestly, we shall with wonder that God has ever answered them.
Oh! it is marvelous that the Lord should regard those intermittent spasms of insistent request which come and go with our necessities. What God is He thus to hear pressing wants, but neglect Him when they have received mercy; who approach Him when they are forced to come, but who almost forget to address Him when mercies are plentiful and sorrows are few. Let His gracious kindness in hearing such prayers touch our hearts, so that we may henceforth be found to "pray in the Spirit" on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." ~Charles Spurgeon
What if I told you that my changeable experiences often led me to ask "Why is this happening to me?" Is this God's plan for me?
In great Spurgeonese, "The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting for your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. Those trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith--they are waves that wash you further upon the rock--they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven." "Oh, do not think that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it."
What if I told you that many years have been difficult? "They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks know a little about the God of tempests; but they who 'do business in great waters,' these see His 'wonders in the deep'." "Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road; it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving kindness. your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means; your trials have been the cleft of the rock..." more Spurgeonese
2 Corinthians ~"For just as the suffering of Christ flow ever into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
What if I told you that most of my life I have lived in a context of financial deprivation but living in a context of abundance. Living financially lean years has become a tool for maturity and growth. I confess, I still need molding in these fixed income years. "When the barn is full, we can live without God; when the purse is bursting with gold, we try do do without so much prayer. But once our gourds are taken away, we want our God..."
What if I told you, I am still the Mrs. and my "path of love is rough", "still loving through thick and thin and heaping coals of fire on the head."
What if I told you that the best piece of advice ever given to me was, "If they are difficult to please, don't seek to please them, but to please your Master."
"If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." 1 Corinthians 10:12
What if I told you, that I have been in slumps off and on. How do I get out of a slump? Go to Psalm 13, Appeal to God-plead with God. Trust God, and Sing praises.
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