I don't know if any of you follow the blogs I have listed on my page, but one of them belongs to my dear friend Sheaffer. On August 6th, her husband Chris had a horrible 4 wheeler accident and, miraculously, came out of it alive and also not paralyzed, which was just astonishing to all the doctors who treated him. Clearly, God was protecting Chris and The Sims Family!
So recently Sheaffer posted this on her blog, and I just really loved it. What are we here for, if we are not being shaped by our Creator?
Here's what Sheaffers blog says:
5 Ways God Uses Problems...Here's what Sheaffers blog says:
I received this from a friend sometime last year, and I saved it. I came across it again a couple of days ago, and it now has a whole new meaning to me.
Chris and I both firmly believe that an incredible amount of good has come out of the horrible accident that he had on August 6th. It is a day that has changed our lives forever. However, even though we are still in the middle of all of the difficulty from his recovery, we have no doubt that this accident, this "problem", has already blessed us in ways we never could have imagined. Here is the note I found...
FIVE WAYS GOD USES PROBLEMS
The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how your respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.
Here are 5 ways God wants to use the problems in your life:
1) God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? (Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. Proverbs 20:30).
2) God uses problem to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags...if you want to know what is inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? (When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. James 1:2-3)
3) God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It is likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove, but you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something....health, money, a relationship...by losing it. (It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. Psalm 119:71-72)
4) God uses problem to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. (You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. Genesis 50:20.)
5) God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you are going to take with you into eternity. (We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Romans 5:3-4)
God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize or understand it. But it is much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him. God does WHATEVER is needed to REACH, TEACH, and ENCOURAGE people to become PASSIONATE followers of Jesus Christ.
"The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles...Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." Psalm 34: 17-19.
Thank you, Sheaffer, for letting me borrow your post. We will continue to pray for your family as Chris works hard on his recovery.
And Happy Birthday to your little man, Carter
I got to see him on his actual 1 year birthday! He's precious and we love him and his family!
And Happy Birthday to your little man, Carter
I got to see him on his actual 1 year birthday! He's precious and we love him and his family!
1 comment:
Wow, beautiful words. Thanks for sharing.
How do you look so fabulous in EVERY pic? Seriously?
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