Quiet Thoughts

Today I read in anguish of a mother's pain. Her world has crumbled around her and my heart breaks for her. The thing that struck me the most was her difficulty in this moment to feel joy for someone else's blessings. In an effort to feel what she was feeling my mind tumbled back to a time when I was feeling the same thing. Despite all my blogging and public posts over the years, it's not a topic I've ever written about before. I was taken back to a time almost exactly twelve years ago when I had a miscarriage at twelve weeks. I remember being very bitter,not two weeks after losing the baby that I was told of someone having twins in my same due date month.(If you have never had a miscarriage, let's just say one becomes very possessive of their "due date month") I remember feeling so angry and bitter. I remember thinking awful things like they already had numerous children and I did not "deserve" to lose mine. Today as I put myself back in that place I realized how wrong I had been. For the last year I have seen how devout in her faith this person is, how I have spoke often about her faith and how successfully she has raised her children. God reminded me of this today. After twelve years I stood ashamed and guilty and asked for forgiveness for my ignorance, shallowness, and sin.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you Also known as I wrote this blog for YOU!

As I sit here drinking my coffee every morning, reading through which posts Facebook thinks I should see (is it really Facebook? Think about it) I see many posts of anguish. I see so many people struggling and my heart breaks for them. There are two groups of those who struggle. Those who struggle WITH God and those who struggle WITHOUT Him. The first group has struggles. Sure all people, including Christians have struggles. It's because there is sin in the world! Duh! You don't become a Christian, wait let me rephrase..you don't allow Jesus to come into your life and magically poof your life is perfect. It doesn't work that way.

But the difference is in how you experience your struggles. With out Jesus I imagine life's struggles would be about as productive as banging your head agains a wall. Doesn't help much, does it? You still feel overwhelmed like you are sinking, right? Hey, I'm talking to YOU, keep reading!

Those who truly walk with God daily and understand lifes struggles are a blessing! What? A bessing? The worst things to happen are a blessing? Yes, they are. And we can learn from them. I have seen Godly people who love the Lord come through some gut wrenching things all the while praising Him. There is a peace one has when they struggle WITH God and allow him to carry their burden than if they did it alone.

Now, read the second line in this Psalm

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

See that word, righteous? Some translations say "Godly" some say "upright man" some say "just"

What it is talking about here is those who walk with God he has promised to love them and never leave them no matter what! Let me repeat, those who walk WITH him!

So ask yourself, are you walking with Him or with out Him?
Psalm 55