May | 2011 | You Are Not the Only One

First of all, I need to apologize to my followers. A time of trials and tribulations. From one extreme to the other. High to low and everything in between. It has been way too long since my last post. And as the Lord pointed out to me in the wee hours of the morning, why would I increase your responsibilities when you have not been a good steward of the ones that I have given you? I too am guilty of letting the circumstances of the world dictate my actions. Instead we need to focus on the Lord and Praise His Name in all storms.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
(One of the highs) In the past month, I have been blessed beyond compare with all of the prayer requests that have been answered.(One of the lows) Having to release my best friend of the last 15 years, Gus. A dog that I said I did not want when he was found in the middle of traffic on a busy street. And turned out to be my almost constant companion for the next 15 years. And maybe the most important gift we can give our friends is to let them go when it is time.

The same week I had an injection in my knee to alleviate pain and promptly had a massive allergic reaction that landed me in the ER. Well that started a cascade of things that I refuse to speak into existence. I tell you all of this to lead into my post for this time.

It truly bothers me when I hear people say, God Doesn’t Give Us More Than We Can Handle. I am sorry if I misunderstand but did anyone bother to tell Job that? I think there are several people in the Bible that would object to that statement. THAT PHRASE DOES NOT EXIST!
I do know that:
That God will work all things together for His glory and our good.
That no temptation is bigger than God. That He is loving and safe.
I was discussing my hospital stay with a trusted prayer warrior recently and I made the statement that, even though I spent that time in excruciating pain and confusion, I was given the opportunity to minister to 5 people! What an awesome feeling that was. I had an excellent nursing staff, (Hey 5 West UMC!!!) The Lord led me to ask them if they were praying people? I realize that is a rather unique way to bring up the subject but it is one that the Lord gave me. They do not run from the room when I ask them that question. They look at me and reply yes, no, or sometimes. But it opens up the conversation without the defensiveness that sometimes follows the question, “Are you a Christian?” And then at my follow-up appointment today I had the opportunity to minister to my family doctor and her medical student.
My trusted friend then made the comment, “God would not put you in that kind of pain!” I told her, “I know that God did not inflict that pain on me as that is a lie from Satan BUT it is up to each one of us to use every trial or tribulation for the opportunity to serve God.” The thought that came in my mind was the comment that I heard recently. God doesn’t give us more than we can handle and how contradictory that is to what I read the Bible to say. Do you use every opportunity to serve God? Or do you sit and wallow in “Poor pitiful me.” It is not our job to make them a believer. That is God’s job. We just need to open the door for His miraculous work to begin. For myself I choose to take every opportunity to add one more warrior to God’s Army.
Luke 12:48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
1 Peter 4:19 Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing (in doing good).
2 Cor 12:10 When we are down, we turn to Jesus for help. Thus, we may say, WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG.
Romans 8:18.For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.