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I'm feeling lucky
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The Purpose of Life |
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In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth
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Flowers Over the Wall |
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Isaiah 49:23b
(NIV)
It had been a rough week for me. It was somewhere around 1992, I hadn’t been
saved long and I hated myself. I thought the reason I hated myself was because
I was fat. All my self worth was in my looks.
I still had an old friends words ringing in my head. He had introduced me to a
buddy of his, and his comment to his friend was “She used to be real
good-looking until she had a kid and packed on forty pounds. Apparently he
didn’t think that should hurt a fat girl.
My husband and I met when we both worked in a disco, and in that environment,
around closing time the compliments come in fast and furious. The only positive
reinforcement I got was from guys about my looks, and when they faded, as they
always do, I was completely worthless in my own eyes. The sexual abuse I had
endured as a child only reinforced this idea.
My highest level of education was seventh grade, so I knew I didn’t have a leg
to stand on there. I had a relationship with the bully I talk about in the fist
week of the studies, and she was constantly pointing out what she thought were
my many faults. I was absolutely desperate to be thin again.
I had decided I was going to pray and have faith God would do a miracle and
make me skinny –down to a certain weight in exactly one month . I was used to
getting on the scale every day, sometimes three or four times in a day, but I
decided for that month I would stay off them. I had a hard time waiting, so by
the time the day came I was excited, I just knew God would do a miracle. I
stepped up on the scale and… it hadn’t moved one millimeter. I was bitterly
disappointed and furious with God. I was crying and praying, I opened the Bible
and read,
Isaiah 49:23b (NIV)
I remember being enraged. I basically called God a liar. I was so mad.
I disappointed, I felt He had let me down. I remember saying to Him,
I did hope in you, This is your Word, you promise we won’t be disappointed, You
let me down!
I was still mad at God when I went to church that Sunday, I couldn’t even get
into the worship: usually the part I love the most. The Pastor started reading
the text for the sermon that day, I was surprised because it was the same text
I had been reading when I got so mad at God,
Isaiah 49:23b (NIV)
I was shocked when, in that church with over five-hundred people listening, the
pastor said something along the lines of “somebody sitting here today, read
that scripture this last week and was mad at God. It is not acceptable to talk
to God like that, you need to respect Him, but, still, He wants you to know, He
will answer your prayer and you will not be disappointed, but, He will fulfill
the promise in His time. Then he went on with his sermon, It was about
trials and the blessings that come out of the trials.
The pastor related a incident in his life. He said he used to love to look at
the fields out his back window, He loved to sit at his kitchen table and watch
the wind make the stalks sway. So he was particularly disappointed when a
contractor started building a subdivision right behind his house, where lovely
swaying grass once grew, was now being torn up, the ground full of pockmarks
where foundations for new houses were being dug. He tried to give it to God,
but the more he thought about it the angrier he became.
He knew it was silly to be so upset about an earthly thing, but he just
couldn’t help it. He had enjoyed his view so much. He finally started becoming
used to the idea, when his new neighbor moved in, he thought maybe they could
become friends.
Imagine his disappointment when the neighbor started building an ugly, Grey,
ten foot, cinder-block wall. He built his wall so tall, my pastor could barley
see the roof of this neighbors house. The pastor was ashamed to admit it, but
he felt bitter against his neighbor every time he looked at the wall.
But something started to happen over time, little flowers started peeking up
over the wall, and then more flowers of different types and colors started to
spill over. Slowly but surely the ugly wall became a mass of beautiful flowers.
He said the effect was breathtaking and priceless. It was the focal point of
his whole yard, and was so much better then the wheat grass he had been so
enamored with. He felt grateful to his neighbor for this wonderful gift.
He said sometimes God works like that, He may not take the problems away
immediately, but Like flowers over an ugly wall our problems can bloom and grow
and fill us with joy. At that time even though I knew God was talking to me,
that sermon didn’t hit home. I thought Okay now I will be healed of my eating
addiction because God spoke directly to me… but no I was still as addicted as
ever.
Many years later when God did heal me, I recalled the sermon and gratitude
overwhelmed me for the trial of being overweight. The flowers I had enjoyed
thorough the years of searching for an answer to my problem have filled my life
with beauty, I am so grateful that God gave me the gift of being overweight. My
weight problem brought me unimaginable joy, it brought me to my knees, It made
me seek God, It made me see the beauty is my soul, the eternal part of me. That
is why outer beauty is so important to the world because Satan makes the least
of us the most important part.
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Posted by:
Kelli
at
7/18/2009 12:52:53 PM |
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Did this story speak to you? Is God a part of your life?
If God's not a part of your life, or you're not sure He is, you can make sure right now.
We believe that God sent his son Jesus Christ to come to earth to live as a man.
We believe that everyone has sinned and no one is perfect.
We believe Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for all of us to forgive our sins.
We believe that the way to heaven is not through being a good person or through doing good deeds, but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
You can have that today by praying this simple prayer:
God, I've messed up and have sinned against you. Please forgive me. I need you in my life. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment of my sins and that you forgive me of all of my sins because of what Jesus did. Lord, I ask now that you fill me with your spirit and help me to live a life for you. Amen.
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