A Rugged Life

My husband and I watched the movie Rugged Gold. The true story of a socialite who married an Alaskan miner. During one of the big Alaskan earthquakes, she was separated from her family and forced to survive the harsh winter, alone on an isolated island, injured and pregnant.

After the movie, I mentioned how well she handled all of her struggles.

My husband said, “You’ve done well too, after all your experiences.”

 Perhaps, thanks to my faith. But all those situations left scars not only on my flesh but also on my heart, soul, and mind - as I'm sure her did too! 

One woman once told me, “You are one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. How did you survive all that?”

My first response was, “I had no choice.”

But was that true?

Looking back, I had choices. There were different paths I could have taken and skipped a lot of heartache (maybe), but I followed God’s will instead of my own. Besides, who knows what those other choices would have led to?

God knows the answer, and because of that, He chose my life paths.

I don’t regret any of my choices that aligned with His will. However, sometimes my mind plays with different scenarios, wondering how my life might look today had I made different choices. But I always come back to the same truth. God chose my paths. How could they be wrong? Even if they were filled with challenges, heartaches, and sorrows, the paths have also been filled with great joy. Joys I would have missed out on if I had chosen differently. 

My heart and prayers go out to those struggling on their paths, doing their best to survive. Their struggles may not be like mine, or yours, or like the poor woman alone in the Alaskan wilderness, but they are still filled with challenges and heartaches.

May God be with them every step, as He has been for me. Amen.

Choosing

 Image by Aline Ponce @Pixabay

The prayer meditation in my morning devotional used the description forever-home for heaven. If heaven is our true home, why did God create us here instead of heaven? Why go through all this human rigmarole? To develop good character?

Adam and Eve were born into a Paradise, one step below heaven. They spoke with God face to face. If they were that close to God, why did He not just put them in heaven and skip Eden altogether?

Then I realized one big factor. True love requires choice. It can’t be forced.

If God plopped us down in the middle of heaven, there would be no choice. God’s love is so complete He gave us a free will. God would never force us to choose Him. But in order to have a choice, there must be something else to choose.

In the case of Adam and Eve, God placed the Tree of Life in the middle of Paradise. He told them not to eat of its fruit, giving them a choice between Him or temptation, Satan in disguise. Their choice caused us to be born into a world of temptations.

We can’t lay total blame on their shoulders. We lean toward temptation by our very nature. But through the birth of Jesus, God not only restored our relationship with Him, but He also became a physical presence. Jesus’ disciples could see, touch, and hear Him, much like Adam and Eve. Still, they too fell into temptation, but repented, and chose God over everything, even their earthly lives.

Through Scripture I see and hear Jesus. I feel his presence when I open my heart to Him. Even so, like the Apostles, I often make the wrong choices. But also like them, when it comes to Whom I choose to give my life to, the choice is easy. 

Merry Christmas! May the peace of Christ be with you throughout this season, through the New Year — always!   

 

Choices

We face a myriad of choices every day, opportunities to make a difference,  good or bad. After my last rant, I didn’t want to let anger, even what I think is justified, to take control. Yet, with the turmoil going on in our country, it’s hard not to feel frustrated and judgmental with others’ choices.

One thing I can always rely on is God. He will guide me, whether I ask or not!

This morning my devotions listed  Psalm 27 1-2,13-14, reminding me faith in God is my first choice.

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom should I be afraid? I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

This scripture has appeared every time I’ve faced hard times, reassuring and encouraging me not to give up or fall into despair.

The next devotion reminded me of how I should live my life, regardless of my circumstances and the choices others make.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying we are born again into eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi

Yes, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, a light in the darkness leading others to You through wisdom, discernment, patience, and faith. Amen.

What Will This Day Bring?

Will it bring good news or bad?

Will it be fruitful or wasted?

Will it strengthen my faith or my doubts?

Will it bring peace or unrest?

Will it give me opportunities to be compassionate or angry and demanding?

Will it encourage me to forgive or judge and condemn?

Will it open my heart to God’s goodness or will it make me turn away in despair?

This day will provide choices. My responses will decide the rest.  

Two Ways to Live Your Life

“There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle. 

The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 

Albert Einstein. 

Choices

It's been another tough week personally and professionally. Traffic during my commute was horrendous and drivers were rude, work was challenging and disappointing, and my personal life took a nosedive as well.

 I wanted to stand on the street corner and scream, "Why? Where is the peace you promised? Where is the justice?"

As expected, God answered.

First, I read a quote by J.C. Ryle: "Better to confess to Christ a thousand times now than be disowned by Christ before God on judgment day."

It seemed irrelevant to my situation. I wasn't a prophet or a martyr for my faith. I may not be the most popular co-worker or member of my family, but I did not feel persecuted. Yet, it was there.