Thursday, October 23, 2008

What encourages you?

Or maybe I should say, who encourages you?

I am so thankful for a roof over my head, food on the table, relatively good health, a wonderful husband and two active children. And I'm truly thankful that the Lord has been with us during the transition time between moving from Ghana, West Africa and back to the United States.

When things don't go the way that you planned, what is helpful for you to remember, to hear, to see during times like that?

Thanks to a great sister in Christ, I'm reminded that in His time, things will be OK. I'm being refined and I know that it will be rough for a while, but in the end more fitted to do the work that He intends for me to do.

Please comment and send a little something along that has helped you or tell about someone who has helped refocus you in rough times. Maybe they didn't even realize it, but it was illuminating to your path that day.

Thanks.

Shalom,
Loretta

2 comments:

texasleslie said...

Making an effort to be "thankful" instead of focusing on all thing things that are going 'wrong' has almost always shifted my focus and my attitude!! :-)
It is, without a doubt, the intentional, deliberate effort to think of 'something' that i can truly thank the Lord for in my life that helps me to sift the stuff that I get uptight about that may not be going 'my' way :-).
It also really helps to see, later on, how the things I got so disturbed by, were often, exactly what I needed to mature more of the faith God is so gracious to give.

Great comment suggestion!
Encouragement is a most precious part of our lives ...and to hear how others are encouraged is often a great companion in the journey of our own!

texasleslie said...

I couldn't get this one out of my mind...
Many years ago, when my first two children were very young and VERY active, I was very frustrated that I couldn't seem to accomplish anything in one day.
I am fairly task oriented, and so NOT to be able to get ONEthing off my 'to do' list was just getting to me!
I was talking with a dear friend whose children were several years older than mine and I told her how every time I tried to get something DONE, I got interupted and it was driving me nuts!

She gave me a gentle smile, and said...."ya know, that used to happen to me, too, and then one day it occured to me..."my interuptions ARE my work"...

We thought together on that alot.
And it changed my perspective!
(I didn't ALWAYS accept things perfectly after that...but it REALLY helped!)
:-)
thanks for the opportunity to remember that again!