It's All in How You Look at Things.

[Elena Leno]

It is all in how you look at things. You are called with an assignment in another city. You have to rely on others to take you there. You work it out. You travel three hours. You get there, you wait, the assignment was cancelled & no one told you. Meanwhile you are inconvenienced - the people who brought you there were inconvenienced – maybe you didn't even get paid to cover your time & travel. Even if you did, it was nothing compared to what you lost. Because you find out that while you were gone - your house was burglarized. Several valuable things were taken - items you are not in a position to replace. You feel angry, devastated. You feel like this would not have happened if you were home. So, you ask where was God in all of this?? Why did this happen to you??

 

Follow me with this. . .The burglars most likely already planned to hit your house at that particular time. And God already knew this. They have a free will, just like we do. But why didn’t God stop this?? Because God gave everyone free will. The burglars were exercising their free will. And God will deal with them for what they did.

 

God touched the heart of the person who contacted you with the assignment. God led you to accept the assignment. God made the way for you to get there. He touched the hearts of the person who gave you the ride there. Now, the person who had the assignment for you, also has a free will - & they cancelled the assignment, oops they forgot to call you. It happens. It most likely wasn’t intentional. Ok true, but, how does this help??

 

The burglars were most likely armed. If you were home, it would not have been a burglary, but a home invasion. You would have not been prepared, you would have been totally caught off guard. One of you, at least 2, if not more, of them. They would have restrained you, bound you, may have cut you, beat you shot you, humiliated you, or even murdered you. And God already knew this.

 

So, where was God in all of this?? Working it out on your behalf, He SAVED YOUR LIFE yet again!!! He saved you from physical & mental & emotional pain, injury, devastation, & even death. Ok, so the enemy got in & stole your stuff. . . that is what he does. Don’t let him steal your JOY. Rejoice in the fact that you were safely out of the way. . .not just at the grocery store or gas station where you could have returned home while they were still there – you were three hours away. Plenty of time for them to do what they did, without harming you in the process.

 

Like every storm in your life – PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH!!! Count your blessings!! Things are things – they can be replaced. And when God blesses you for your faithfulness & your praise – it is so much better than you had before. You may be inconvenienced for a time, take that time to re-evaluate your life. Learn how to make due without. Maybe the items lost were distracting you from God. You were spending too much time watching the big screen, playing online games that you prayed less, studied less. And anything that takes your focus away from God, you don’t need in your life. Or you need to learn how to balance your life. Or maybe, this was just simply God moving behind the scenes on your behalf to save your life.

 

Everything you go through is to grow you, draw you closer to Him, every test is to give you a testimony to build up & encourage someone else. After all, that’s what it is all about – ministering to God’s people to lead them to Him, to build His kingdom. . .

 

So go on now, give Him the glory!!! Give Him the praise!!! Thank Him for what He is doing in your life. Thank Him for how He is with you no matter what you are going through. Thank Him for bringing you through.

 

Stop focusing on the negative. . .stop focusing on the storm. Focus on the positive. Focus on JESUS!!! Now go on & PRAISE HIM!!! HALLELUJAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

(Disclaimer - this was a true story shared with me - doesn't matter who it happened to, because it could happen to anyone, it has happened to us all in one way or another. . .God already was working behind the scenes on our behalf. GLOOOOOOOOOOOOOORY!!!)

Elena Leno - 15 August 2012