Power and Strength and Grace and Guidance.

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans for hope and a future.'                                                                           
                                       Jeremiah 29:11


Lately I haven't felt like blogging. Not that we don't have tons to share, it's just the stories that currently captivate my thoughts and uncover the worrisome nature that I have tried hard to suppress wouldn't make for very inspiring or uplifting reads.

These past two weeks have put a test on our patience and our ability to deal with stress in a Christ-like manner. Turning our eyes on the One most Holy has been the only way to calm my weary and restless mind and to rest assured that He has our best interest at heart.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
                      Colossians 3:15

Some days it is easy to see only the bad. Like when you run over your dog. And get the $250 repair bill for your DSLR camera. And you have a clogged milk duct. And your husband gets a speeding ticket and just may have a case of Lyme disease. All in one week. All while trying to trust God for guidance and grace and strength to get through a stressful personal situation.

But in and through it all, we are trying to take a step back and look at it from another perspective. We choose to take the perspective of the blessed and see that the Lord is good. How often do we come to expect the niceties and forget to thank the One who gave them to us? How often do we take our  families and friends and the ability to have a healthy, beautiful baby for granted? These are the things that matter.

As much as our world tries to tell us otherwise, material things don't matter. Money doesn't matter.   Maybe these trials are teaching us something.  Maybe this time in our young married life is preparing our hearts for something greater, for something far bigger than ourselves. Maybe He is just making us a little more humble. I am not sure. All I know is that He never fails us.  His love never fails us. For this is what calms my heart.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalms 34:8

It is amazing to me how intimately God speaks to us in his perfect timing. One morning in the past couple weeks I decided to just bite the bullet and purchase a devotional I've had my eye on for quite a while. But while I was looking at it on Amazon, I came across another book written by the same author, 40 Days with Jesus: Celebrating His Presence. I read the introduction and noticed the Kindle Edition price was only $1.99, so I jumped at it.

I put Ellery down for a nap, left the dirty dishes in the sink and the laundry still in the dryer, while I curled up on the couch for a quiet moment. As I began to read, my body was suddenly covered in goosebumps. It was as if my heart was being spoken to directly, as if this passage was written just for me.

"Sometimes my blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through pain and trouble. At such times you can know My goodness only through your trust in Me." 

How powerful and mysterious our God is.