After my former spouse left me, I experienced what most would now call a “Extreme Life Makeover!” Moving my residence 5 times, losing my home, the work injuries, the condo fire, feeling destitute, deaths in the family, oh my!, I could go on. I won’t because every single trial was ordained by God to bring me to His throne of grace, to rely totally on Him, and to understand Him as my Heavenly Husband, Lord, and King. The restoration that followed would blow your socks off if you knew me in 2003 and in 2012. Many thought I would turn away from the Lord during those dark days. Er, no, I became humbled, dependent on a worthy Savior. He sustained then restored me and for that I am grateful.
I am grateful that He has chosen to bless me in this season of my life. Wow. I thought I was going to write about how difficult Sunday afternoons were as a “separated” then “single” woman in her late forties, back then. I thought I was going to vent the trouble I had this Sunday afternoon when I found myself very alone. Er, no, guess not.
Isn’t blogging great? You can talk yourself out of all kinds of things. Barking with a purpose.
Take care all. With love, Julie
Jesus is for the Wounded 
do you think that trials are caused by God, or that he uses the circumstances of life for good?
Gentle Reader: Thanks for reading my blog and raising this very important question. A long time ago I spent time wondering why God was allowing tragedy in my life when others seemed to have an easier life. And now with Lyme Disease, I could continue to ask why. I would not however ask if He caused it because I know that He is not the author of evil; the Bible tells us that Satan is the ruler of this world so Satan would be the author of evil (illness, tragedy, etc.). God is love (1 John 4:16) and loves us so much that He gave His Son for us, Jesus Christ (John 3:16); I could go on . . .
I believe what the Bible teaches in Romans 8:28
“We know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.”
Even if I did not find this to be true in my life or in what I could see around me, I would still believe it because He said it as a promise to those who love Him and call Him Lord. As it turns out, He loves those who believe in Him and does not frustrate us nor allow things to occur that do not have a purpose that is meaningful. I am grateful that I have been able to see, too many times to count, how His Divine Providence in my life, through good things and bad, have made me and my life better. He doesn’t waste anything. Sometimes I’ve called these incidences “involuntary growth experiences.” And other times I have called them “grace.”
To see God as love in the midst of heartache takes ‘lying down my sword” and striving; letting Him reign in my heart; and discovering His will, His plan for my life. In the end, He knows the desires of my heart and uses whatever it takes to bring me closer to Him, to be more like Him, and sometimes very sweetly to bring me to a place better than the love of my heart. Cool beans. Do you know the Lord like this? Oh I pray that you do! :J
“involuntary growth experiences”. I like that 🙂
thanks for the response