One Thing: Pain to Gain

If I’ve learned one thing it’s that after a time of pain, there is gain.  While I don’t look forward to the growing pains, I do like growing closer to God so I’ve decided it’s worth it.  I used to run from the pain, but I don’t run quite so much anymore.  

I learned a lot from reading about Joseph in Genesis.  

I mean he was his father’s favorite and he seemed to flaunt that to his brothers.  His dream about his brothers bowing down to him was probably the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.  They got ticked and threw him into a whole so deep he couldn’t get out.  Then they decided to pull him out so they could sell him as a slave.  Talk about brotherly love!!!

I Egypt Joseph was set up, imprisoned, jerked around, and manipulated.  Through all of that I think what would have hurt the most is that his own brothers did this to him.  That would be hard to swallow.  Joseph made the most of the situation and God blessed him.  He rose to a position of power and eventually his brothers did bow down to him.  

None of that was a surprise to God.  Whether you believe God caused it or made the most of a bad situation, the truth of the matter is that Joseph became the man of the hour for his brothers and his father.  

Through a lot of pain and heartache, God changed Joseph and brought something very good from something very bad.

God amazingly has a way of turning pain to gain.  If you are in pain  – forgive and ask for forgiveness (if that is what brought on the pain).  Mostly, release it to God and ask Him to bring good from your pain.  You may not see it immediately, but eventually you will see the gain.  I am sure of that one thing. 

To Laugh or to Mourn?

On my journey there’s been a time to laugh and a time to mourn. 

One time I knew this woman who liked me and we had a lot of fun together.  I would go to her house and we would have coffee.  We went to the same church and I was glad we were friends. 

Then, one day she stopped calling me. Suddenly it became clear she really didn’t like me.  I kept trying to figure out why.  I mean she wouldn’t talk to me.  And I kept trying to figure out what I had done.  Over time because I was hurt and I stopped liking her. 

Our relationship went downhill.  She would say really mean things to me. After time passed and I moved away from that town, it hit me.  What really happened was that I didn’t love her.  I was so concerned about how she was treating me that I was acting defensively to protect myself.  I didn’t take time to love her.  

If I hadn’t been so focused on myself I would’ve probably been able to iron out whatever happened. There could have been good times with this woman.  I mean, she wasn’t a bad person, she was just really unhappy.  

Facing the fact that I didn’t love her was not easy, but I knew I had to take a good look at myself. Just think instead of mourning what happened, I could have shared laughter with her.  I could have re-written our journey.  The good news is that now I know I can change how I respond.  I can do one thing.  I can choose to love. 

Creative Exercise: Think of someone in your life who treats you badly and ask yourself why.  Make a list of things you can do to change your relationship with that person.  Name one thing you can do today to start loving them.  Now, go do that one thing. 

At Least One Thing

 On my journey I’ve learned at least one thing…the older I get, I seem to spend a lot of time thinking about how to respond better.  So, I started wondering, shouldn’t it be the other way around?  I mean, I thought when I was young that when I got older I would be able to breeze on through life.  What I’ve discovered is that it's really true...“the more I know the less I think I know”.  
 

Here’s what happened, on my trek to know more is that I learned how very much I don’t know.  I think that started to happen when I sat across the room from some very brilliant men and women.  A few professors in college challenged me a little more than I was comfortable with.  I remember going into my Senior year in college thinking I had it made because all my classes were in speech communication (my major).  I mean, I took debate in high school and I love making arguments. How bad can it be?

Right. Like really bad. What I learned is that my arguments were weak and unsubstantiated.  They lacked depth.  Pop…there went that bubble.I was able to walk away with a decent grade (thanks to eeny meeny miny moe), but it wasn't because I was able to make brilliant iron clad arguments. 

Now in graduate school I have continued to learn more about how much I don’t know.  At least going into it I knew it would be a challenge.  So, why do I keep going back for more?

Glutton for punishment?  

I think not.  At least one thing I’ve learned is that when I am not challenged I am not growing. I don't like not growing.  It’s true in school and it’s true in life.   

Now, your journey may not be the same as mine but I'll bet you have your own unique fuel for the fire.  For me, God knew I loved a challenge and He has been good to give me what I need.  How 'bout you?  What thread of truth can you find in your life that God has helped you discover more about yourself?  How has God challenged you? 

Creative Exercise: Write a list, or a story about what special unique challenge God has given you.  Recognize what God has done for you on your journey.  Know how God has given when you most need and thank Him for supplying your needs. 

Epiphany

I love Epiphany.  I like what it means and what it represents.  Epiphany in the general sense means that you have a sudden realization that gives something meaning you didn’t previously understand. Epiphany in reference to Christ means the realization that Jesus is the Son of God.  

That is worth celebrating and while I celebrate that Christ is the Son of God, I'm not able to remember when I realized that Christ is the Son of God.  I did have a moment when I knew I wanted to tell someone I believed in Jesus, but it seems like I always believed Jesus is God's Son. 

When I think about having an epiphany today, I'm not sure I had one today. I did have some pretty cool stuff happen, however.  I had a God moment when I knew for sure that God was blessing me on a project I am working on.  I had a moment where God’s love and meaning passed between me and another person.  I had another moment where I knew that God loves me, today and now.  I had a moment when I was studying a scripture verse and I realized what God wanted me to see.  I realized today I am really truly blessed. 

But here’s the thing…when I am open to it, those things happen every day, not just on the Day of Epiphany.  

Maybe the Epiphany for me is realizing I am really blessed every day, not just one day out of the year.  Every day God is everywhere, Jesus is God's Son, the Spirit is in me, and miracles abound.  Epiphany. 

The Dream

I’ve been a dreamer all my life, both during the day and at night. After the age of 12 years old my night dreams increased and I felt like God was speaking to me in my dreams.  I noticed that parts of my dreams came true after a while. Sometimes I would dream in a series and sometime later I would know what God was telling me in the dream. That’s one way I learned what my dreams meant. Another way I knew what my dreams mean was through my feelings.   As I learned what my dreams mean, I have learned to seek God’s dream FOR me and of me.  

I love it that God gave a dream to the three wise men telling them not to go back to talk to Herod.  

Matthew 2:12 says:

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. (NLT)

I am amazed that these three wise men had a dream yet I wonder, did they all three have a dream? Did they have the same dream?  Did they question whether or not they should go talk to Herod? Whatever happened after they had the dream, they decided to accept the dream as coming from God. 

They did not go back to talk to Herod.  

The three wise men believed God and they believed Jesus was the One sent to be King of the Jews. They came. They saw. They believed. 

Jesus met them on their journey just like Jesus meets us on our journey. 

And so, the wise men prepared for their long trip home on the Spice Road to the east.  With them they carried their thoughts of worshiping the King.  They saw the Messiah and their lives would be forever changed.  

They would forever carry Jesus in their hearts on their journey.