Is God Using Your Pain and Problems to Repurpose Your Life?

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”

(Philippians 2:13).

 

I enjoy reading books and magazines on decorating, and lately I have noticed the term “repurposed” quite frequently.

 

If an item is repurposed, rather than throwing it away after it becomes, old, defective, or useless, it is given a new purpose or use.

 

Living in area with many local artisans, I have seen some amazing products made with repurposed materials - picture frames and cabinets made from old wood floors, jewelry made from old paper, sculptures made from trash metal, garden décor made from kitchen wares, cloth pumpkins made from old quilts, and nativity figures made from antique textile thread spools.  With some creativity, the possibilities are endless.

 

I can relate the concept of repurposing to my health problems. I don't have the same capabilities that I had in healthier years.  At times, these changes have left me feeling useless and purposeless.

 

Repurposing is accomplished by modifying something to fit a new use, and God has and continues to repurpose my life through the modifications that my health changes bring.  I may not be doing my previous work, volunteering, or church ministry, but God has led me to usefulness and service in other ways which are just as significant in His eyes as what I did in healthier times.

 

It takes creativity and effort to repurpose materials, but the results can be unique and quite useful.  Our disabilities may keep us from doing what we used to do, but with hearts and minds that are open to God's leading, and some creative thinking on our part, we can be repurposed in unique new ways for His glory.

 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for the assurance that You will never discard me, and I will never outlive my usefulness to You. Although my body may not be what it once was, give me the direction and creativity to see new possibilities in serving you as I am now. Amen.

Preparing Ourselves for the Day

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:13 NASB).

Awhile back, I made a list of certain things that I struggle with on a daily basis and ways to deal with them.  My goal is to prepare for each day by giving these requests to God. 

To see my life with a heavenly vision rather than an earthly one.  I can become so consumed with my earthly limitations that I lose sight of what awaits me in eternity.  Remembering my eternal future keeps things in perspective here.

To notice signs of God’s presence.  Every day God reveals Himself to me if I only take time to see Him.  Whether it’s through nature, an activity, a person, a Scripture, or a song, God is with me.

To love those in my path.  My personal problems can cause me to ignore the needs of others. I interact with someone every day, and they all need God’s love.

To not feel inferior to others.  I have always struggled with self-confidence, and health problems exacerbate this weakness.  I need to remember who I am in Christ – a person of worth and value with specific gifts given to me by Him.

To use my time wisely.  I don’t want to use my pain as an excuse for not serving where God is calling, but I also don’t want to unwisely over-extend myself.  I need God’s direction each day.

To be content with God’s decisions.  I don’t always understand why God allows what He does in my life, but I do know that trusting and surrendering to His plan is the only way to lasting peace and contentment.

To put on the armor.  Whether I’m fighting pain, the world, or my own sinfulness, each day is a battle.  I can’t fight without the proper protection. 

As I lift these requests to God in humility and faith, the day may still be difficult, but I’ll be much better prepared for whatever comes. 

Prayer:  “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (Psalm 5:3).  Thank you Lord, for hearing, and answering.  Amen.

Your Biggest Problem Can Be Your Greatest Potential

“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen” (Psalm 77:19).

The history of the Israelites is one that I continually refer to for hope and comfort. With their struggles and cycles of belief and unbelief, they remind me of myself.  Their biggest problems provided the greatest potentials for God to work miracles.

We can imagine how hopeless and overwhelming it must have seemed to face an impassable sea on one side and a life-threatening army on the other.  Sometimes the magnitude of our health problems and the difficulties and challenges of life can leave us feeling trapped and panicky, wondering how we can possibly survive.

In one of his sermons on the power of God in our lives, my pastor made the statement, “Your biggest problem is your greatest potential”.  I have remembered that.

Getting across the Red Sea and away from their enemies was definitely a big problem for the Israelites.  Yet it provided potential for them to see God’s amazing power and a reference point for trusting Him on their new life journey.  Although they could not see Him, God brought them through those challenges.  And with each new difficulty they encountered, He continued to do so.

Currently I am trying to escape an army of depressive thoughts waiting to take me captive, along with feeling trapped by seas of discomfort, weariness, and discouragement.  But these seemingly inescapable problems provide the potential for me to grow in faith, see God’s miraculous power in my life, and provide a testimony of that power to share with others.

Yes, our pain and problems may be great.  But let’s not waste the potential for them to grow us in faith and action.  We have a God who still parts and walks on water.  He’s calling us to step out and go with Him, and the potentials in doing so are miraculous.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, today I choose to see the pain and problems that surround me as potentials for You to show more of Your power in my life.  Give me the courage to follow You in faith, even when there seems no place to go. Amen.

This is one of my favorite songs that goes well with this writing.  Perhaps it will encourage you. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2PNTq_-mZs

 

By God's Power, I'm Still Standing

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 5:22).

My husband and I recently visited a nearby tourist attraction called The Blowing Rock.  Legend says that an Indian maiden and warrior fell in love.  Torn between her and his duty, he jumped off the rock in desperation.  She prayed to the Great Spirit, and one day the wind blew the warrior back to her.  Since then a continual wind has blown up onto the rock, causing even the snow to fall upside down. 

Of course this is just a story.  The wind blows the way it does because of the topography of the land and weather patterns.

Several days after our trip, I was hit with a severe bout of depression.  It was a very dark and desperate time, but God brought me through it – yet again.

I thought about the blowing rock.  Many times I stand on the edge of hard times – times of pain or depression or difficulties.  Sometimes I jump off in despair. Other times those problems push me over the edge.

I fall for a while, but the power of God and His Spirit keep pushing me back up. 

Pain and problems may cause me to fall for a time.  But in the words of the Barnes Notes Commentary, “he (God) will not so appoint, arrange, or permit things to occur, that the righteous shall be "ultimately" and "permanently" removed from their steadfastness and their hope; he will not suffer them to fall away and perish. In all their trials and temptations he will sustain them, and will ultimately bring them off in triumph.”

God’s power is not just a story.  When life pushes me over the edge, His winds keep blowing me back onto His solid rock.  I will stand again. And the view from the rock is victorious.

Prayer:  Lord God, sometimes Your idea of falling and mine are not the same, and I don’t feel that I can keep standing through my problems.  Yet Your Word says that if I cast my cares on You, I will not fall. Thank you that You sustain me through all of my trials, no matter how overwhelming they may seem.  Amen.

 

 

 

Two Sources of Comfort During Difficult Times

“How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104:24).

“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97).

Everyone has coping methods for difficult times.  These may include eating, drinking, escaping into movies or books, venting to a friend, taking a trip, taking a pill, staying in bed, or looking to God.  Obviously some of these choices are healthier than others.

What do we do in our most difficult times - when we get no relief from the pain; when the treatment is grueling, or when there is no treatment; when friends and family misunderstand us; when we must give up yet another activity or event.  All of these scenarios can lead to discouragement, depression, and despair.

Based on verses from Job, David Jeremiah suggests two sources of comfort for any trial – creation and Scripture.

When I was at my lowest with thyroid cancer, depression, and anxiety, I found solace in nature.  Just sitting on our lawn swing or looking out the living room window was helpful.  I would occasionally buy a flower bouquet from the store, and I looked at picture books on gardening and decorating with nature. 

We now live in an area full of mountains and waterfalls, and they both have a positive and calming effect on me.  God’s creation does that.

Scripture is also a huge comfort.  There are Bible verses that relate to any circumstance or condition. Sometimes I search a concordance or other resource, using key words relating to my problem or emotion.  When I find a relevant verse, I read it and seek how to apply it. Then I claim it in faith and keep bringing the words to mind.

There are many ways of coping with our suffering.  But creation and Scripture are two available and powerful ways that God speaks to us and brings us His comfort and peace. Let’s thank God for them and benefit from them.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, when I am suffering, the beauty of Your creation and the power of Your Word are able to restore and refresh my soul. Thank you for revealing Yourself in these amazing ways, and may Your Spirit prompt me to look to them as sources of encouragement when I need it.  Amen.

The Passive Action of Waiting

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him" (Psalm 62:5 KJV).

"In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly" (Psalm 5:3).

Life is full of waiting periods.  There are the positive waits to reach certain milestones or longed-for events. There are the annoying waits in shopping lines and traffic lanes. And if we live with ongoing pain or illness, there are the seemingly endless waits for medical appointments, test results, treatment plans, and hoped-for relief.

In addition to waiting countless times for treatment and results concerning my own health problems, my husband and I have been waiting for years to find treatments for his tremor and nutcracker esophagus that would be effective without intolerable side effects.  We are currently working with more new medicines, waiting and seeking.

Waiting can be frustrating and difficult because we want action and results now.

Charles Stanley describes waiting as passive action.  In one sense we passively can do nothing. We can’t speed things up or change God’s ordained plan for our lives, including our suffering.  But we can change how we wait.

Instead of waiting in anxiety or frustration, we can wait in peace and hope. We can choose to believe in faith that God’s timing and control are the best for us.  When tempted to give in to frustrations and fears, we can lay our requests before the Lord and wait in expectation. 

This life will always involve waiting. If nothing else, we are waiting to go home to God.  But while we wait, we can act. Will our actions include bringing God our requests, meditating on Scripture, claiming His promises, and looking for signs of His presence – actions that will bring calmness and peace?  Or will our actions of fretting, complaining and anger keep us tense, exhausted, and hopeless?

Waiting can have purpose. It can be an opportunity to strengthen our faith, grow in self-discipline, and show the power of God in our lives to others.

Prayer:  O Lord, You know how tired I get of waiting.  I want relief from my suffering.  I want answers to my problems.  And I want these things sooner rather than later.  Give me the grace to see and use these times of waiting as ways to know and rely more on You.  As I do, replace my frustrations and worries with Your peace and hope.  Amen.

Creation Declares the Power of God in Our Lives

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding” (Job 37:5).

“O Lord God Almighty, who is like you?  You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you” (Psalm 89:8).

I recently enjoyed a day that I will treasure forever. 

We live in an area full of waterfalls.  Because of my back and fibro issues, I am not able to see many of them. But on this day, thanks to God, my husband, a hiking stick, and pain medicine, I made it.

There was a succession of six waterfalls on this trail.  The trail itself was lovely although challenging. The mountain laurel was in full bloom, and falling petals carpeted our way.

Parts of the river contained huge boulders, and the water surged around them and over them into beautiful and powerful falls. But the water between each falls, although filled with smaller rocks, was fairly calm.

We were the only people there and were able to get very close to several of the falls.  I was able to sit on the rocks for a while, listening to the roar and watching the swirling water.  As I did, I thought about my life with God.

Sometimes my life is relatively peaceful.  The small rocks of difficulties and annoyances aren’t too difficult to handle.  God’s waters gently flow over them, nudging me along.

Other times I am faced with huge boulders of pain and suffering, which seem impossible to navigate.  Just as the most powerful sections of the falls were the ones flowing over the largest boulders, so the bigger my problems, the more God pours His power and strength over them, moving me through and around them. 

God’s power is strongest when I need it most. 

Those waterfalls were a spectacular word picture from God, reminding me that no pain or suffering is too big for His mighty power to handle. 

I thank God for the beauty of His creation, and how He uses it to speak to me, if I will look and listen.

Prayer:  O Lord God, I praise You for Your creation and how it displays Your great beauty and power.  Thank you that there is no pain or problem in my life that is too great for Your mighty waters of strength to carry me through.  Help me always to be listening and looking for the ways that You reveal Yourself to me.  Amen.