Gifts

I have been told quite a bit lately how strong I am. The truth of the matter is my Lord is strong and because He holds me, I am strong by default. It saddens me though, that for most of us the only time we give God credit for anything is when something bad happens. Why did God let my brother die? Why did God let me loose my house? Why did God allow my car to break down. Where was God when I lost my job? Very rarely do we acknowledge his presence in the good things that happen. I'm not talking miracles, I mean the every day things. Let me share a story with you. Some of you that know me well may already be aware of most of these things. Last year I made a lot of decisions. In February I decided that I wanted to have a baby. I thought to myself that I was a good mother and I deserve to be able to have another child. When I found out I was pregnant in March I was thrilled. I'm sure that I said Thank You to God but for the most part I took credit for getting pregnant. Around April, Jeremy and I decided that we wanted to have a house built. We made all of the plans and preparations. We were so excited that we were going to make this happen. Once again, I took credit for the blessing. In May there was an opportunity for a promotion at my job. I applied for the job thinking that I was such a hard worker and a quick learner, I deserved that job. When I got the job I was thrilled. Chalk another one up to Crystal being awesome!!!! So many times we start to get cocky and think that we are in complete control of our lives. Not one time did I truly give God credit for the things I was able to achieve. Do you want to know something? This year I don't have a single thing that I made plans for last year. I lost my house in August when I was put on bedrest. I lost my job when I was not able to go back to work after Jolianne was born because she was in the hospital. I lost my daughter in January due to her heart giving out. I am not bitter or resentful for these losses. The bible says that we are to praise God for the gifts we receive and find comfort in His sovereignty when we struggle in life. The only way to have a healthy relationship with God is when you turn to him in the good times and the bad times. When we are children we look to our parents to teach us lessons, they are to mold us and shape us and make us better people. I was a very stubborn child. I often turned away from lessons because I thought that I knew it all. I wanted to be so independent and take care of problems on my own. When I became an adult I realized that my parents really did know what they were talking about. I am a child of the Lord. He is my Father. He has many lessons for me to learn. He knows my heart like no one else. (Psalm 139 v.1-4) Even when a lesson hurts, I have to learn and grow from the experience. I have to put my pride to the side and allow him to have control of my life. He can mold me and make me into a better person. We cannot ask God why he does things. In doing so we are always looking to the past. Instead we must ask "What now Lord". In that question we are always looking forward. I do look forward to the future with bright eyes. There is so much for me to learn and see. I will keep these lessons close to my heart and keep taking steps forward. I will give praise to God for all of the gifts that He gives me daily, I will ask for a comfort that only He can provide when I am broken.

For everyone that reads this today. Please take a moment to give God the credit he deserves. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)