Tests, Trials or Trouble?

This has been an interesting time with no posts.  Sometimes life just gets in the way and there is no time to even take a deep breath.  Sometimes we don't have the energy to take that desperately needed breath.  Even though my blogging fingers have been silent, my heart has not and my faith has been quietly reinforced.  With several events pressing against my heart and my emotions, I sat in church on Sunday and was reassured what I thought happened.

We all have tests and trials and trouble in our lives.  I was reminded that problems are inevitable (of course we know that as we wait sometimes for the proverbial "other shoe" to fall), problems are unpredictable (the one thing we know for certain is there will be some kind of trouble at some point but the extent of and design of we have no idea), problems are always purposeful.  In saying they are purposeful does not mean that we will ever or always know the purpose.

James Chapter 1 states "² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

We always find it curious here that we are to "consider it pure joy" or "count it all joy" when we experience trials but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that we are being given the trial to purify our faith and make us more like Jesus.  More complete.  The outcome of the trials we go through is really what is more important.  How did we respond to the troubles?  Did we react to it or did we rejoice in the process of becoming more like Christ?  Did we reject a solution or did we request to have the wisdom given to us to deal with the trial in the best manner? God promises to give us wisdom if we ask for it without doubting He will provide it.  Don't be wishy washy about it. Go boldlyto the throne of grace.  Ask for it and believe that it will be given and then look inside yourself for the solution.  Proverbs tells us several things about wisdom and planning.  Proverbs 15:16 "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."  Proverbs 13:10 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." and so on.

Sometimes, I am convinced, it is not about us and our grooming but about the reflection of Christ in our life and how someone else perceives how we are dealing with the situations we are given.  Are we reacting well?  Are we letting go and letting God handle to situation?  Are we rejoicing or are we pining away about how difficult it is?  Trials are having our feet held to the fire to have the impurities cooked right out of us.  Consider what a lump of gold goes through to become a beautiful ring.  It is heated with intense heat more than once and its entire outward appearance is changed completely to be unrecognizable from what it originally was.  THAT is the purpose of our trials, tests and troubles.

Mmmmm Fall!

Today I made a wonderful baked oatmeal for breadfast.  I know that the Amish recipe is a little heavier than what I made but I altered the recipe to make it a little more healthy, less fattening and still delicious!  It takes all of 6 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to bake.  I keep my blueberries and cranberries in the freezer and that makes them easier to chop up and throw into things like this great breakfast.

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBS ground Flax seed or Salba
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs (Optional)
1 Cup Milk (Soy, 2% or Whole)
1/4 Cup warm water
1/4 Cup unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Cup chopped Apple, Cranberry, Blueberry

Mix all together really well and pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center in firmed up.  Refrigerates well, too.  Hope you try it!

Friends

I live now in a place that is the most permanent place I have ever lived.  It is a place I feel comfortable and safe.  I don't wait for a knock on the door every month telling me to leave and have no fear of being asked to leave because love has been replaced with discontentment.  Yet this is the loneliest place I have ever lived.  A place that was never my "hometown" is the place I feel most welcomed and the place my heart longs to be.  A place that, when I get the chance to visit, is somewhat constant and predictable.  A place full of real embraces, honest smiles and generational faith.  This place loved me for who I was once they got over the initial adjustment and who loved my unborn child as much as family should.  They are the people who come the distance to fill my home with laughter and give my arms friends to hug back with hugs that are real and that say "I'm so glad to see you! So glad you are here.". 

Today I will wear a jacket that a bride remembered to bring for me on her wedding day.  A jacket that was thoughtfully purchased by the most unsuspecting friend.  A considerate and warm gesture by the new wife of one of my best friends who has no need for my friendship but embraces me anyway.  With tears I will dress today for a job at a place where no one cares to really know me and if tomorrow I disappeared, would never know I was ever there and I will wear a jacket that will keep me as warm as the thoughts I have of an afternnoon spent at "home" with some of my most special friends.