“Life’s
greatest trials often come without a moment’s notice. There is no prep time or
convenient moment to book them on our daily calendars,” says Sheila Walsh in
her Bible study, The Shelter of God’s
Promises.
“They
brutishly make their way into our lives and threaten to undo us.”
You
know what she means. So do I.
“But,”
she continues, “suffering is often the
very thing that allows our lives to be resurrected. When we look back, those moments can become milestones and strong
pillars … because we survived by [God’s] strength alone.”
Romans
8:28 tells us “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him.” (NIRV)
Sheila
calls that verse “God’s promise to work
out all the twists and turns of our lives.”
She
writes, “It’s almost impossible to believe that God can use all things, even
the terrible and shameful moments from our past (or present!) to work for good
for His glory.”
Yes,
for humans that can seem impossible, but somehow He does it! “With God, all
things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
In
order to see how God has done that in our lives, Sheila suggests we make a
two-column chart, and “write down hardships
you’ve faced on the left side, and across from those write the blessings that came from those
experiences.”
This is
a perfect exercise for those writing
memoirs. Like Sheila pointed out, looking back can yield rich treasures.
Filling
out your chart might take a few days or weeks but, as you work on it, look for
ways God turned your hardships into milestones.
How did
He turn your suffering into strong pillars for your faith?
How God
turn your greatest trials into your greatest blessings?
Did God
use those hardships and blessings to bring you new opportunities that you
wouldn’t have otherwise received?
What
did God teach you about Himself in the midst of your hardships and blessings?
What did you learn about yourself?
The
next time a trauma or heartache entered your life, how did God’s help in the
past give you hope for the future?
Write
your stories—because you survived by God’s
strength alone.
Write your stories—
Write
your stories—not because of who you are,
but because of who God is.
This is perfect for me to apply to the last year for my Hubs and me. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi, there, Recovering Church Lady, I'm so glad you stopped by, and I'm super glad you found something here that can be of help. That's always my prayer as I prepare blog posts.
DeleteBlessings and smiles,
Linda
Linda, there is a lot of power in your words:
ReplyDelete"Write your stories—because you survived by God’s strength alone.
Write your stories—because of the miracle of God’s grace.
Write your stories—not because of who you are, but because of who God is."
These thoughts cast an entirely new light on the process of writing memoir. Thanks for the extra nudge given in this posting.
Blessings,
Sherrey