A Reality Check

Last night, I was once again obsessively stressing over my future. This morning I had a reality check.

While I had been selfishly focusing on myself, others had needed prayer. Desperately.

From cancer, to daily struggles, and a sudden tragic death, my problems now seem pitiful.

But even in the midst of all our problems, God is still God. He is still on the throne, ruling justly and righteously. We can't control what happens in our lives or in the lives around us.

But we can pray. Always. At any time.

"God has given us a refuge in prayer." ~ Luke & Trisha Priebe in their book Trust, Hope, Pray

My mom and I prayed for our friends this morning. We also prayed for the extended family of the family where tragedy had struck.

And there, on my bed, with tears running down both our cheeks, we found the solace that only God can give. We took the day's problems and cares to Him, and found the quiet peace that only He can give.

And in the midst of my reality check, I found that even though I thought my problems are bad, someone else was struggling with something much worse. And in focusing on myself, I missed a huge opportunity to pray for others in need.

Lord, may I never again be so focused on myself that I miss the blessing I may be to someone else through prayer.

The Beauty of Jesus

"Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
O Thou Spirit divine,
May I truly be Thine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me."

I have never heard this song before, but as I flipped through the hymnbook one Sunday, the words jumped off the page at me.

What does beauty look like to you? As a young woman, society and culture pushes their idea of beauty on me from every side. When I was a little girl, my mother would remind me that true beauty comes from within. I never truly understood that till I grew up.

It doesn't matter if your hair is perfect all the time. Or your make-up for that matter. Without Jesus, your beauty is only skin-deep. I would rather have a soul made beautiful by Jesus than the most fashionable outfit.

Beauty is fleeting. You won't be beautiful forever. But if you have a soul made beautiful by God, you will still be beautiful when you grow old. I want to be one of those ladies who grows more beautiful as they grow older because they have Jesus.

"Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity."

I want Jesus to be radiating through me, so that when people look at me, they see the beauty of Jesus.

Rest in Me

I am one of those people who like to be in control. And know the when, where, why, and how something is going to happen.

It kills me when I don't know what is going on and there is supposed to be a plan. The worst part is when I am not in a position to control the outcome of the supposed plan.

My life is a giant plan that I have no control over. Sometimes I wish I do. The future boggles my mind. It can become rather burdensome.

I was struggling with that very thing today. I was literally crying out to the Lord to guide me in the path that I should take. I was also wishing at the same time that He would just drop a blueprint in my lap for me to follow. In other words I would then be in control.

My heavenly Father then reminded me of a song, whose words have often brought comfort in times of confusion and restlessness:

"When confusion fills my mind,
And my world inside is torn apart,
Or the road just seems to rough,
And discouragement just grips my heart,
I lift my eyes and see,
The One who died for me,
Is standing there beside me,
And says so tenderly:

Oh, be still, My child,
And know I'm your God.
Rest to know,
The King of glory is on your side.
Let Me bear all your pain,
And carry your load.
Oh, be still, My child
And rest in Me."

He is my God. He is in control of my life. His plan is perfect. He wants me to trust and rest in Him.

I need to be still and rest in Him. Trust His word. Live everyday to honor and glorify Him. And He will lead me in the way He would have me to go.

Proverbs 3:5&6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."