Olive Tree

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. -Psalm 52:8 (NKJV)

I enjoy the daily readings in my Divorce Care workbook. This was one of the verses this morning. I love the Bible for so many reasons. I love that it's God's word to us, His revelation of Himself to us. But I also love God's poetry and wording. No matter which translation of the Bible you read, the lyrical beauty of the image of the olive tree is wonderful. And the thought that God's mercy is forever gives me hope for every day. Yesterday was a bit of a trial, but I know that every day is an opportunity for things to get better, for me to improve myself and show a better account of myself. If I know God's mercy is forever, I can feel empowered to step out and try things. God is my support and I know if I try hard but still make a mistake, God is still merciful and there to renew me like the olive tree.

Divorce Care Night

To walk out of God's will is to step into nowhere. -C.S. Lewis

Tonight is my Divorce Care class. I'm glad because although it's for a sad reason, I find hope in what we study in the class. And I think the most important thing I have been finding is that I must look for and trust in God's will. I don't really have much more to say today, but I wanted to give that thought. God is good if we seek Him.

Life

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. -Dan Stanford

How true. Today's experience is waking up still sick. I really wanted to wake up feeling better. I went to the doctor this morning who took x-rays of my lungs (nothing there, by the way, so that's a positive). She could hear a rattle, but the pictures came back decent. But rather than put me on steroids for the cough, she saw something in the back of my throat that concerned her, and she referred me to an ENT. I will see the ENT this afternoon. What does that mean? I'm a bit distressed and worried. I'm very concerned about missing so much work. With the initial illness, I missed almost two weeks. I went back to work last week and now I have missed another day and a half this week. I intended for this blog to be perpetually upbeat and encouraging, but then I remembered something. Life happens. Every day of our lives will not be full of mirth and wellness, but we can pull through and conquer the obstacle if we trust in God to lead us through. I don't know why I am staying sick for so long, but I believe that all things work for the greater good for those who love the Lord. And He's still with me. Things could be so much worse. I have been very lucky and blessed. I need to remember that. I also should look for the lessons I can glean from this situation. For example, I got my tax refund and while I am very excited, I am sick and can't really do anything with it. This in itself is probably a blessing as I am not out spending it, but it reminds me that all the money in the world counts for nothing without your health. And it also reminds me that though I am sick, I could be much worse. I think I will take all of this as a reminder to be thankful to God for every breath.

Fate is not out to get me

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. -Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

This morning as I was getting ready for work, I had a clumsy morning. I knocked over some bottles in the shower, dropped the bath shampoo on my foot, and couldn't turn the cold water off (the handle is stripped...long story). I felt my frustration level going up, and I thought, "The cosmic forces are set against me. Today is not going to be good." But then I stopped and thought, "What forces?" God is not out to "get" me. And as a Christian, I don't subscribe to karma. So I am a little clumsy this morning. I might not always be able to control my equilibrium which is off due to my ongoing sickness, but I can control how I react. I made the conscious decision not to let a little before work mishaps affect my entire day. It can be a good day.

Running Late for Work As Usual

So, just a quick humorous thought for today:

The only reason I would take up jogging is so I could hear heavy breathing again. -Emma Bombeck

Divorce is hard, but things will get better. I am trying to spend this time getting myself together and organizing my life. But loneliness does sometimes creep up on ya. Guess that's why it's so important to stay busy.

Love and Mourning

When I'm sad, I sing, and then others can be sad with me. -Mark Twain

Several people I know are going through a divorce or have just recently gone through a divorce. Until recently, I did not grasp how unable I had been able to relate to my friends and family who have gone through a divorce. It's much worse than I would have expected and much different. But it had really helped to have such good friends and family supporting me. And it's helped to be able to commiserate with other people going through the same thing. Still, it's hard to see them struggle too. I wish there was more I could do to help my friends. I suppose I will keep praying for them for now. Please keep praying for me too.

Joel 2:25

This verse states:

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust.(NKJV)

I am currently separated from my husband and have been attending a Divorce Care support group. One of the facilitators quoted this verse, and it really spoke to me. How profound that God can restore the years that the locust has eaten! I have made some really bad choices in my life, but I know that God can restore me if I trust in Him and really seek his will. This blog is intended to chronicle my quest to seek God's will and restore my life to what it should be. I love quotes and will be quoting the Bible, literature, and even just wise people on this blog. I hope you may also find inspiration for your life in some of these things as well. I also hope that my life will stand as an example that you can recover from bad things. We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can always control how we react to them. Thanks for stopping by!