Into the Fire

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Passionate: right or wrong. Writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

Not complaining . . .

 

 

           Complaintfree

Yesterday you heard my heart. Looking outward. Seeing life on planet earth. Recognizing the sorrows and struggles. It's important to counter that with the further recognition of the constant war between good and evil in this life.

Hope approaches the heart with the distant satisfaction that there is a plan, there has always been a plan, and for us who have taken the opportunity to "come to Jesus", we have the privilege of following Him even as we repeatedly stumble and fail at it. We know the joy of being rescued from the heart-sickness, the demands of sin, the curse chosen by humanity.

So today I will tell you that the overall picture leaves no complaints. My life is blessed. God protected me early on. Through my self-induced drama and various struggles, He kept me from the evil one in spite of my sinful indulgences. He allowed me to play them out until the utter emptiness consumed my being and I looked for Him. Desperate in my search. He waited for the optimum moment to lead me to His heart, and I fell into His welcome, freed from my sins. Grateful. Relieved. Knowing that finally I had realized the Truth I'd always hungered for.

And so I tell you I am angry and sickened at the injustice, the corruption, the destruction upon this great nation under God, the turning from all things good to the wicked perversions of mankind. It is an unholy sight, and it grieves my soul. I will expose it with the breath of a prophet because the evil from authorities is no way to live. But I want you to know I'm thankful for my country, so grateful to God for allowing me to be born here, for the wonderful and full life He's given me, for the best parents ever, a precious brother, my beautiful family, terrific friends and loved ones, horses and dogs, and the Savior of the world.

I am thankful and blessed. No complaints. 

 

Father, thank you is never enough. Never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

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2 responses to “Not complaining . . .”

  1. BK Jackson (@BKJacksonAZ) Avatar
    BK Jackson (@BKJacksonAZ)

    Long reply follows. Sorry.
    There are a # of things I’ve been feeling especially thankful for lately:
    1. The # of sincere prayer warriors in my life. People who spend such time with the Lord that their relationship is deep and you trust their insight. In fact, one of these people has been praying for a specific serious issue for me and gave me some specific insight on how she thinks God will answer. It’s up to God of course, but I know she’s a real pray-er.
    I’m thankful for the direct way God speaks to me at unexpected moments. I’ve been EXTREMELY discouraged about my job (can’t give details), plus I’ve been even more pressed for time lately with working FT, taking classes, prepping Sunday School lessons and the battle to stay healthy. Two weeks ago, I was so discouraged I was tempted to leave church after Sunday School & skip morning worship. I hate doing that but I was at that point. But I prayed for strength to fight that temptation and in that service God specifically, uniquely spoke to me and reminded me that He was still here for me. It made me cry.
    I’m also thankful for the way God uses others to reach me. You’d think I’d learned the lesson from two weeks ago, but last Sunday, though the temptation was much weaker, I again had the fleeting thought of skipping out on morning worship b/c I had a big presentation to work on. If I had, I would’ve missed seeing one of my favorite people I’d been missing, a former student in the youth group who now goes to college out of state. He was home for a visit.
    Last but not least, I’m amazed anew all the time how God specifically uses Dr. Stanley to speak to me about something I need to hear. We’ve all sat and listened to sermons where we knew it was good for us and there was a lesson involved. But it’s another thing when you get the feeling that “I need to sit up and pay attention. This is specific stuff I need to hear.” That happens to me probably 90% of the time w/Dr. Stanley’s messages and it is ALWAYS about something I’d been struggling with or wondering about.
    God is truly amazing. And I’m so thankful for His obedient people.

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  2. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Brenda, your words of thanks capture so much of the battle. I’m extremely grateful for you, your honesty, your devotion to the Lord, and how you express yourself. You get an Amen from me, my friend.

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