Shaken Faith

Our reward will not be handed out while we are on earth, our reward will be the gift of a promise kept by God. A promise of an Eternal Life.  Let your trails and tribulations strengthen your Faith. Trust God. Believe in Him. Accept the Grace He instills inside of you.  ~ Jett

 

It is in those times in our journey when things seem to go wrong we start to question God and the reason he is putting us through times of despair.  We reach out to God for answers to the questions we are sure will provoke God to take a second look at the luck, or lack there of, that he has bestowed upon us. 

"I live by your laws and You bring this to me?"
"I help others who are in need and this is my reward?"
"I respect the rights of all human beings and You drop this bomb on me?"
"I pray to You day and night and this is what You do for me?"

Those and many more questions are asked, questioning God on why we are being put through such trials and tribulations when we feel we deserve better, or more, out of life.  If one is honest with one's self, when our self-pity gets the best of us, there is probably a lot of anger, frustration, and tears that come along with those times we question God's role in life.

It really does not matter how big or small you feel your current troubles are, what is important is that you understand we all go through hard times and if we didn't, what would we think our good times we experienced?  You do not have to be a God fearing Christian to go through hard times and me being a Christian I often wonder who those that do not have God in their lives blame.  It's human nature I believe, that when we are down on our good fortune we find someone else to blame.  That is never going away, we will always want answers to the questions we know there are simply no answers to.

The most asked questions we ask God very well may be "Why are You testing my faith by putting me through such hard times?"  My personal belief is that God does not test our faith.  He provides the tools we need to understand faith, and to have faith, and more than likely He watches us to see how we handle the faith we have in His promise of eternal life.  It is during those times that I feel God is asking us some questions.

"Is that the best you can do?"
"Is your faith so broken you need to blame Me when things do not go your way?"
"How can you fear Me, yet blame Me for your lack of faith?"

I truly believe that when we are struggling in our journey it is not God who tests our faith but we ourselves that are testing our own faith.  If God does play a role in our troubles at all, it is more probable that He is helping to build our faith.  He forces us to stop and get a grip on our fast paced lives, to have us revisit what is important to us, remind us what we have to be thankful for.  It is not God that brings us to these times of despair, it is God that comes to see us through them.  That statement is not meant to make you believe that things will turn out the way we would like them to.  That statement is a testament to your faith on how you will handle the outcome, good or bad.  It can go either way, the way we want it to go, or the way it is supposed to go.  Will the outcome be good and you will thank God or will the outcome be bad and you will blame God, asking 'why me'?

Bottom line is that God has a plan for all of us and that plan is to bring us to an eternal life with Him.  A life where when our last breath is taken, our breaths Beyond A Breath Of Life will be spent free of all sin, all worry, and our questions of 'why me' will be answered.  God walks with us as we journey through our lives on earth.  No matter what path we choose, he will follow us along those paths and provide us with the tools we need to be ready to meet Him one day when our road comes to an end.  There is no promise of perfection, no promise of an easy journey, no promise that never will we shed a tear or feel pain.  There is only the promise of eternal life when we reach Him.  That is not a promise to just Christians in life either, although as Christians we are provided the tools to prepare ourselves for the day He determines it is our time to go to Him. 

Life is full of struggles and disappointments.  No one life is valued in God's eyes as better than another.  When you look at others and how they live, or how they appear to have it better than you do when you know you yourself are a better person than they are, remind yourself that God allowed his Son to die on that cross for all of us, not just those that believe in Him and live His Word.  Each one of us will be allowed the time to sit in God's Park (purgatory) and reflect on how we lived our lives while on the planet He provided for us.  You may be in that park for a much shorter time than those you feel enjoyed a richer life on earth.  You may reach eternity long before some of those that have lived a life of riches and selfishness.  That is your reward for how you lived on earth.  That is what God promises us in our final moments of life.  The faith you leave with is as strong as you built it.  The hardships you endure are not meant to pass or fail the test of faith.  They are designed to enrich your life, slow you down to reflect on who you are and where you are headed.  The challenge you feel you are facing is one you put in front of yourself. The faith you feel is being tested is busting through bigger than you have imagined.  It is growing, and it is painful, but it is preparing you for the ultimate gift of life.  The life of God's promise to you for living eternally with Him in heaven. 

I have a couple friends who this past week have had new challenges set in front of them that more than likely have them questioning God and His role in their lives.  I ask that those who follow my blogs stop and say a prayer for their strength and faith that both are stronger than even in seeing them through their latest struggle in life.  That they may stay strong in their believe in not only God and His Word but also in the faith they have built inside of themselves.  That they remember God has not left them, but has stayed right beside them as they get through those dark feelings in their hearts, their minds, and their souls.  That they find inner peace and happiness in all they have been given, no matter who these next few weeks play out for them.

For Shannon and Dee:
Prayer in time of Illness

Lord Jesus, you came into the world
to heal our infirmities
and to endure our sufferings.
You went about healing all
and bringing comfort
to those in pain and need.
We come before you now
in this time of illness
asking that you may be the source
of our strength in body,
courage in spirit
and patience in pain.
May we join ourselves more closely
to you on the cross
and in your suffering
that through them
we may draw our patience and hope.
Assist us and restore us to health
so that united more closely
to your family, the Church,
we may give praise and honour to your name.

Amen.

 

Steve:
                                                   Prayer for Strength over Disappointments

My Father, I thank thee for life and its faculties. May I not be deceived by gratification and miss the permanent satisfactions. Make me brave that I may be courageous in affliction, and not be dismayed over humiliations and disappointments. May I be kept in harmony with thy will. Amen

 

Cindy:

                                                            Prayer for Strength and Sympathy

God of love, may I come quickly to thee, when I am in need of protection and sympathy. Guard me against sorrow that is drawn from the imagination. May I not allow grief to drag me into misery, but with strength and courage may I find happiness in thy daily will. Amen.

 

 

Brice:
                                                         Prayer for Strength and Forgiveness

My Father, I bless thee for thy patience and forbearance. I pray that thou wilt forgive me for all the sorrow that I have made from rebellion and despair, and with thy forgiveness may I receive patience and cheerful courage. Amen.

Carpe Diem

If you told me eight years ago that today I would be graduating from college with a four year degree majoring in Journalism with a minor in both Spanish and Business, well frankly, I would not have been surprised.  Before I was even fourteen I had aspirations of becoming a writer.  Reading remains my passion in life, writing things that others are interested in reading is my goal.   I knew I would accomplish a four year degree, I knew I would graduate from college.  I knew I could accomplish that personal goal and I had a lot of support from many people in my life as I did it.  I took the opportunities that came my way and with some work and discipline, I earned a college degree.  I seized my moment(s) as it (they) crossed in front of me. 

I don't want to give the impression that it all came easy.  I worked hard every step of the way.  While the studies came fairly easy to me, it was learning about life in these past four years that proved more difficult than the educational studies.  I learned just as much about life in the past four years as I did about the subjects I was studying.  I am proud of my degrees and I am proud of myself for sticking with it and getting it done.  But there is something in my life I am more proud of, something which I still fear in my daily life and work on improving with every breath I take. 

There are literally thousands of college graduates every year.  Thousands of people who have achieved their dreams.  Thousands of people who have dedicated themselves to earning a degree that will carry them financially through the rest of their lives.  Yes, I survived an academic achievement in my journey along the way.  It wasn't always easy but I met every challenge I was faced with which resulted in the reward of degrees that will financially carry me through life.

There are also thousands of people every day who survive one more day in theirs lives of abuse.  Emotional, Mental, Physical, Sexual abuse.  There are thousands of people each day that survive one more day of loneliness.  One more day of feeling unworthy in their lives.  One more day of grieving for loved ones lost.  One more day of feeling they do not belong.  Thousands.  Thousands of people who are trying to get themselves back on track, struggling to find their way, their path in life. 

While I have survived some of the most difficult days in the 22 years I have been alive, each day I wake up, surviving the day before, is still another day I will have to survive the things that haunt me from my past.  Just like thousands of others, each day brings new fears, new concerns, new survival tactics.  That is life, and while most everyone is faced with future fears of survival, there are those that may never survive their fears from the past, but they keep on fighting.

Those are the people today who inspire me to get from one moment to the next, to work through my fears and be thankful for where I am at and for all who have stood next to me each step of the way.  While today I celebrate the achievements of a college degree, I will always admire those that may have never stepped foot on a college campus. Those that survive the struggles of their past and future.  They are truly the people who have helped me along the way.  Though I have met just a handful of them, there are thousands I have not and I pray for them to get through the struggles they face daily. 

So while we move on in our lives today, celebrating our academic accomplishments, remember all those that have accomplished the survival of one more day in their lives.  Those we have yet to meet, those that have shown us how its truly done.  Congratulations to all those who keep surviving.  Congratulations to all those who never give up.  Congratulations to all those who silently push through one more day.

They are the true survivors in life.  They are the ones that matter the most.  They are the ones that inspire the wealthy, the educated, and the fortunate.  They are the ones that seize the moments of life that carry them through the struggles they face.  Because of them, I have seized my day.  Carpi Diem!  Thank you!

Mothers Day 2014 : Grief and Love

This coming Sunday is Mothers Day.  I would love nothing more then to make a date with my mom, take her out to a nice lunch and maybe a movie.  I still spend time looking for the perfect Mother's Day card, even though I have no address to mail it to should I find that perfect one that details how much I love her.  ( Memories of Mother In Heaven )  I scan through the cards on the racks, and see a small section of  'I miss you' cards.  Even if I filtered through those I would have no where to send a card telling my mom how much I miss her, which is almost as much as I love her.  Heaven has no address and there are no visiting hours to visit our loved ones anyway.  I will spend this Mother's Day just like I have spent the last two.  I will take about an hour to sit and reflect on the memories we had when we shared the same air on earth.  I will sift through what remains in the memory box I keep full of items that allow me to touch a piece of mom outside of my heart.  I will thank God for sharing her life with me even though it was shorter than it should have been, shorter than I expected it to be. 

I think about my friend Annie, who lost her daughter Gracie to cancer at the age of eight.  ( Memories of A Daughter In Heaven )  While I am a son no longer able to reach his mother, Annie is a mother no longer to reach her daughter.  God shared Gracie with Annie for eight years.  I know that as difficult as it was the last two years of Gracie's life, Annie would of spent the rest of days caring for her sick little girl if only God would allowed her to keep her.  Gracie left this world making sure she left as many memories as she could for her parents.  She left her mommy with many pictures she had drawn that told the story of how much Gracie appreciated the mom that Annie was to her.  Perhaps the one item I remember working on with Gracie to put in that special memory box she was leaving her mommy was a homemade thank you card, thanking her for being the best mommy in the world.  Thanking her for being OK with God allowing her to go home to Him.

In that note Gracie thanked her mommy for being her Mommy, her Nurse, her Teacher, her Friend, her Hero.  She thanked her mommy for all the hours of sleep she lost to stay up with her when she was sick.  All the hours she spent cooking special foods for her to keep her strength up.  All the hours she put into making Gracie's short life the best it could be.  She added a PS to her card that said "Thank you for loving daddy and marrying daddy so that I could have the best parents ever."  I imagine that on Sunday Annie will read that card and cry happy tears and sad tears.  I imagine that on Sunday Annie will sit and go through her memory box and be happy she was a mother to Gracie.  I imagine, like myself, on Mother's Day Annie will feel as lost without her daughter as I will feel without my mother.  I imagine a sunny day clouded with a bit of grief.

The following poem was created by my little Amazing Gracie and myself when we were reading about Footprints in the Sand and talking about how no matter where we are, we are not alone because God is always next to us.  I so cherish this poem even more now that Gracie is gone,  It is her words, I just provided words that rhymed and she put it together.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  It truly represents how Gracie felt about how much love we can hold in our hearts.

"Hand Prints On Your Heart: by Amazing Grace
 (with help from the boy with the funny name, Jett)

When I feel all alone like no one else is with me.
I just look inside my heart to see what I can see.
There is lots of love there, from all the days gone by.
So many people love me it makes me want to cry.

On the days I feel all alone like no one cares about me.
I just look inside my heart to see what I can see.
So much love lives in there it almost overflows.
So many people love me and it just grows and grows.

When I get sad and my heart feels really empty.
I think of all the wishes all my friends have sent me.
They may never have even met me or know who I really am.
But they left their hand prints on my heart, and now they are my friends.

So when your day is really sad and you think you are alone.
Put your hand to your chest and feel the love you own.
Feel the hand prints of the people who really do care.
They left them there to show you how to love and share.

Hand prints on your heart will never go away,
So don't be sad and lonely, go on and enjoy your day.
You are loved by many, even more than you could know.
For many people leave them there, to help you love and grow.

Teaching The Littles ... A Blessing for My Friends

A friend loves you all the time.

- Proverbs 17:17

Teaching the Littles in my life to think of others and pray for their happiness was by far the easiest lesson I have ever worked with them on.  It also proved to be one of the funniest.  I taught the two older Littles already and I am currently working on the middle Little.  Channing will be a bit of a challenge, mostly because he is a little loner in life and likes to just be left alone until he is ready to interact with the rest of the Littles.  The two littlest Littles are just too young yet to teach about friendships and respect.

It was probably about three months ago when I started teaching Olivia the Blessing For My Friends prayers.  It is easy enough to read to and easy enough to explain each line in the prayer.  Since she could talk she has been praying by name for those she loves at night, on her knees, palm to palm forming a steeple with her hands, elbows on her bed.  It took forever for her to list each and every name she could think of to ask God each night to keep her friends safe.  Now she is OK with reading the prayer knowing it includes all her friends and cousins and misfits in her life.  Each night she gets to choose one name to say a special prayer for.  A Blessing for My Friends prayer is the prayer Olivia likes to recite to her mommy at random times during the day.  When she gets to the "joyful song" line she will burst into random songs that have nothing to do with the prayer itself, but at least she is sending blessing to a friend through her prayer and song.  Last week I witnessed her random prayer blessing and as soon as she said "joyful song" she burst in an old classic she learned from a movie 'Footloose' that our friend Gracie (RIP) left in her possession.  When she was done singing and dancing she finished the prayer as if there were no interruption at all.  The innocence of the littles in our world make my heart happy.

A Blessing for My Friends

Dear Lord, please bless my friends today,

While at school and while at play.

Keep them safe both day and night,

Lead them towards the way that's right.

Help them to remember You,

And trust in You with all they do.

Give their hearts a joyful song,

To keep them happy all day long.

Showing our littles of the world how friendships are formed and bonded is certain to help them understand the importance of praying for them as we enjoy life on earth with them.  Treating our friends as well as everyone we meet with respect will teach our littles how to be respectful towards others.  Letting them see how you interact with others, friends and strangers, will instill in them the importance of people in their lives.  

Often we as adults take our friendships for granted.  We become complacent in those relationships and forget they need to be nurtured and that it takes two to build that friendship into what we would like it to be.  We do not stop to say a simple blessing prayer for those in our lives that choose to be there, and stay there.  The friends that support us not matter what, through good and bad.  The friends that give more then they take, speak the honest truth, reach out a hand to support us and thank God for the crossing our paths.

What better way to teach our littles of the world how to surround themselves with a posse of friends to the end, then to set the example for them in our own journey on earth.