Why is this happening to me?

This is the question that many people ask over and over again . I thnk that a lot of times Christians have the most trouble understanding why God makes us go through so many hardships and struggles. In the same way, non-Christians look at us thinking we are complete idiots for putting our whole lives in the hands of this "God" who allows things like natural disasters to kill thousands of people or tragedies such as 9/11 to happen. I was once asked this question by a non-Christian and I honestly had no clue what to say. I quickly found out that saying thinkgs like "all you neeed is faith" doesnt really mean anything to athiests. Now I realize that it is these hardships that build character. We are filled with hope and perserverance. Even just the small things build us up and bring us closer to Him. On a much larger scale, things such as September 11 and Huricane Katrina did this same thing. Not to one individual, but to millions of people across the world. Although I was only about 10 years old when our country was attacked the thing I vividly remember is how much everyone suddenly cared for each other and how much unity there was among us. Because for those few weeks, just that day, or maybe even a moment, we werent millions of people or 50 states, we were one nation and that how we wer founded so thats the way its suposed to be. For once people could talk about God without the fear of being sued for all they were worth.
James 1: 2-4 says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complet, not lacking anything." So the next time ou are going through ar hard time and you think that it cant get any worse, remember that you are building yourself. You are building yourself through perserverance to become stronger and ultimatly closer to Christ, the one who gives you your every breath.
~*Elizabeth
first written: 1/9/08

"What lies behind us and what lies before us...

.....are all small matters compare to what lies within us."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the past. Reminiscing on the good times, regretting the bad. But now that I really start to think about it, I realize that I'm just wasting my time. The past in unchangable. I can't go back in time and fix my mistakes, I can't relive the memories. Plus, humans naturally make mistakes and by trying to fix them I would probably just make it worse. I've had friends from the past who I miss the good times with, but now I realize that if their not here with me now then they probably didn't have a place in my life anyway. But the friends that are here for me even when I don't need them, the ones that know when I do just by a simple word, and the ones who take my hand and walk beside me; those are the people God placed in my life for a reason. I'm learning that everything happens for a reason. Everything leads up to something in the future. Whats going to happen in my future, I have no idea. Nobody knows. But worrying about the future is just as bad as worrying about the past. I think sometimes people(often including myself) live in fear of regretting things. From past experience I know that sometimes you don't something because your afraid of regretting it, but in the end you actually regret not doing it. Life is full of regrets, you just gotta learn from your mistakes to avoid making them twice. I have no idea what the plans for my future are, but someone does and one day He'll show them to me. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Knowing this, I have no reason to be afraid of what lies ahead of me, because there is hope. Everyday I can just be as happy as the happiest person in the world. Not to say there aren't those days I just feel down, but when I do he always sends someone along to bring me right back on my feet. From now on I'm gonna live life to its fullest. Not because life is perfect, but because I'm willing to see beyong the imperfections and make the best of whatever comes my way!
~*Elizabeth
first written: 11/14/07