Lately, I have noticed so much about people who have failed at business, owning a home, their personal lives and the list goes on and on. I asked myself WHY?
There are many questions before there are answers. The failures may be big or small. Some are our own fault and some are caused by others.
When a child does not do their homework or fails to turn it in there will be failure eventually. When a man misuses someone else's funds there will be devastation for many including the man who misused the funds.
When we walk outside of God's plan for marriage and our lives there will be disappointment and failure.
I believe that we all fail at some point and in some way in our lives. I failed terribly when at 18 I became addicted to prescription drugs. The pills were meant to help me, but I misused them and many suffered because of the 7 years I spent in addiction.
Too many times I have said things to Jim, my husband, that I wish I could take back, but now they are out and redemption is the only way back.
Jim and I faithfully put a small amount into our retirement funds in hopes that there would be enough for us in our old age. This year when we received our final reports one fourth of it was gone. We had done everything we could and now it was gone.
What do we do in times like these? We remember that God is still on the throne. We learn to be thankful and grateful for what we do have, not for what is gone.
We learn to praise Jesus that He is bigger than our mistakes, others mistakes and can bring life out of a disaster.
Words cannot be taken back, but forgiveness can reign.
Money may not be able to be replaced, but God is our strength and our hope.
Failure is not the end - it can lead to many new beginnings.
Anne
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Disappointment
My husband Jim and I recently had a big disappointment. Jim has been having problems with his hands. They have been curling up and we have sought out help from several places. Finally, we were put in touch with a expert in hands.
We were so hopeful that he would have answers. Doesn't medical science have the answer for everything? But this would not be the case for us.
As we prepared for the out patient surgery we faced another obstacle. Jim's wedding ring (48 years old) was on the hand they would be operating on and had to come off. The other problem was that the finger it was on was curled and would not open. The end result was that the ring had to be cut off in spite of all our efforts to get it off.
Surgery was done and the end result was there was too much damage and it could not be repaired.
For a few moments my heart sunk, but then I remembered that hope and love never die. We still have each other and as the years go by we become each other's hands and feet when necessary.
Jim cannot use his hands as well, but mine are still working fine and so I will become his hands when he needs me. What a joy to serve this man who has so loved and cared for me over these many years.
When disappointment hits, allow it to sink in, but then pull up hope and love, and that truly will sustain you.
We are looking for new ways to live rather than thinking there is an answer other than a miracle of God. And even if there is no miracle, we have four hands between us.
Anne
We were so hopeful that he would have answers. Doesn't medical science have the answer for everything? But this would not be the case for us.
As we prepared for the out patient surgery we faced another obstacle. Jim's wedding ring (48 years old) was on the hand they would be operating on and had to come off. The other problem was that the finger it was on was curled and would not open. The end result was that the ring had to be cut off in spite of all our efforts to get it off.
Surgery was done and the end result was there was too much damage and it could not be repaired.
For a few moments my heart sunk, but then I remembered that hope and love never die. We still have each other and as the years go by we become each other's hands and feet when necessary.
Jim cannot use his hands as well, but mine are still working fine and so I will become his hands when he needs me. What a joy to serve this man who has so loved and cared for me over these many years.
When disappointment hits, allow it to sink in, but then pull up hope and love, and that truly will sustain you.
We are looking for new ways to live rather than thinking there is an answer other than a miracle of God. And even if there is no miracle, we have four hands between us.
Anne
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A Garden Versus A Field
I know that it is winter and in many parts of the country the ground may be covered in snow. But I thought it would be good to think to spring and summer.
Have you ever considered a field? We live rurally and have many farms around us. As you drive by a field you see rows and rows of the same crop growing. This is essential for a farm because they need much of one thing.
You rarely see one cow or one stalk of corn. You see multiples. This is good and the plan for a productive farm.
But when you look at a garden you will see a variety of plants. They will be all sizes and shapes. All colors and hues will meet your eye. In a vegetable garden, things may be in neat rows while in a flower garden they may demonstrate the beauty of variety.
My mother always told me that God never planted the forest in straight lines because the variety brought so much more to the soul.
There needs to be order in our lives, but there also needs to be variety as well. All are important to God and essential to our lives.
Try to make your life orderly and full of variety. It really can be done. In our area you will see huge fields of order and then as you come to the farmhouse you will see the vegetable gardens and the flower gardens.
The gardens are closer to the house (the soul) while the fields stretch out way beyond us.
Think on this and I think you will be surprised at what God shows you.
Anne
Have you ever considered a field? We live rurally and have many farms around us. As you drive by a field you see rows and rows of the same crop growing. This is essential for a farm because they need much of one thing.
You rarely see one cow or one stalk of corn. You see multiples. This is good and the plan for a productive farm.
But when you look at a garden you will see a variety of plants. They will be all sizes and shapes. All colors and hues will meet your eye. In a vegetable garden, things may be in neat rows while in a flower garden they may demonstrate the beauty of variety.
My mother always told me that God never planted the forest in straight lines because the variety brought so much more to the soul.
There needs to be order in our lives, but there also needs to be variety as well. All are important to God and essential to our lives.
Try to make your life orderly and full of variety. It really can be done. In our area you will see huge fields of order and then as you come to the farmhouse you will see the vegetable gardens and the flower gardens.
The gardens are closer to the house (the soul) while the fields stretch out way beyond us.
Think on this and I think you will be surprised at what God shows you.
Anne
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