I spent most of the weekend pulling boxes out of storage and throwing things away. I have so many papers to take to a shredding facility. It's unbelievable the amount of crap I've got piled up.
We're really looking forward to the move and the lifestyle change. However there is an element of disbelief too in all this. Cassidy, I'm sure, is completely confused as to what is going on. In some ways she's reacting emotionally to it. Fortunately, in 9 more days we'll be out there.
I'm trying to see my friends and let them know I'll miss them and how much I care. But with 9 days left, there's so much to do.
Most of you know, I believe all things are of God. And it's funny... I was talking to my family this weekend and we remarked how, if I hadn't had that 8 day migraine and gotten vertigo - none of this would've happened.
It got me thinking... Even the bad things in life, God intends for our benefit. I was thinking earlier this morning, how that has been so true historically. Noah, gets ridiculed and abused by society for building an ark, and it turns out, that was awesome. He and his family are saved.
Joseph, gets thrown in a well, and constantly abused until adulthood, becomes the bigwig of Egypt and saves everyone from famine.
Job, gets caught in a verbal sparring match between God and Satan, a shitstorm of bad luck happens to him and in the end he turns out better than ever before.
Jesus himself, is abused by those of high place in society, gets the shit beat out of him, nailed to a cross for what? 6 hours? I can't remember, but it was hell...
Gets resurrected into an awesome kickass body, ascends to heaven and given Lordship over all creation.
Sometimes... When our lives change, and things don't always work out to our "benefit" as we think they should, we think God is mad at us. We've done something wrong. Or worse, we get angry at God for leading us down this path of thorns and thistles.
Job said;
Job 2 9Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Joel Osteen is not the first to come up with this kind of theology. It has been common even in Jesus' day
John 9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Just because you are being blessed does not mean God is happy with you. On the flip side, just because you are enduring hardship, does not mean God is angry with you. And here's the catch all. Just because you are being persecuted, does not mean you are being persecuted for Christ.
There's another verse in the Bible, (go read the whole Bible, you'll find it, I can't remember where it is) that says that the sun falls on the wicked and the good alike. Similarly so does the rain fall on both men as well.
Yet; All is of God, and in every circumstance - we ought to give thanks to God for EVERYTHING whether good or evil, is all meant for our benefit.
I'm saying this to point out that no matter what happens in the future when we move, however it slides... I'm going to remember - God lead us there, and there is ALWAYS a reason to benefit everyone. Myself as well as those around me.
Travis
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