Blessings from God

I got to spend some time with Ethan and Elliot last week. They are definately blessings from God!

I didn't have my camera with me this weekend,so instead of pictures, I thought I would share a few thoughts. I'd love to hear some of the ways God has blessed you.

While sitting in church on Sabbath, I was touched by a realization of how eager God is to tell me He loves me. Though in most cases He does not communicate with us in audible speech, He has many other creative ways of getting His message to us. A beautiful sunset, encouraging words from a friend (or even a stranger), the words of a song, the sweetness of a child...sometimes even the words on a sign while driving, a children's book, or a point brought out in a class lecture can all have a message from God just for me.

Friday evening, I was listening to a Michael Card song "Asleep on Holy Ground." Two lines caught my attention. Jacob was wrestling with God and he realized... "the wrestling was the way, the struggle was the sign...Pain's the path to blessing, love will fight us to be found." God never intended wrestling to be the way or pain to be the path to blessing. But because of our current state of sinfulness, the process of being transformed into the image of God is often painful. In relecting back on the painful experiences in my life, I can see that God has used them as a "path to blessing" for me. The biggest blessing that I have received is a deeper knowledge and feeling that God loves me and will be my firm foundation through anything I have to go through.

In church, we were singing the hymn "How Firm a Foundation." It is one I had heard but didn't know well. It has now moved to a pretty high position on the "list" of hymns that I like. In the 3rd verse it says, “When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless..." Wow, another statement that God blesses us through troubles and trials. I think its a great idea to look back at the difficult things you've gone through in life and see the things God has taught you and the ways He has blessed. This is a way that my faith has been strengthened - realizing how God has blessed me through difficult situations helps me to feel confident that He will get me through whatever I have to face in the future.