Tuesday, November 6, 2012

WHAT IF by Lisa Newman


(Articles between now and Thanksgiving will be based on questions to ask yourself so you can prepare your heart to truly be thankful. They are written by different women in our church. You may want to read the first one, Preparing for Thanksgiving, by Christie Smith.


What if.......?  

Have you ever asked that question? Be honest!

What if I were married?
What if I were single?
What if I had more children?
What if I had a child?
What if I had more money?
What if I had a different job?
What if I went back to school?
What if I had married someone else?

What if ........?  I used to ask myself that question a lot. Years ago when I was in middle of raising kids, working, trying to hold my marriage together. Yes, there I said it. Jesse was in seminary and worked 3 jobs; I was working and we had 2 kids at the time...and we never saw each other. We were burning the candle at both ends and sometimes things would catch on fire! So, I would find myself asking that question.  “What if I could get a do over of my life, would I choose this one?” Of course, looking back I see it was a very selfish question. But I couldn’t see it then...not until many years down the road could I see it. Life then was hard and it wasn’t near what I thought it would be when we started on this journey. And some days I wanted out!
  
It took me years to realize that I don’t get to choose the life I have...God has chosen this life for me and I just get to live it out for Him. Oh, how I wish I could go back and redo some of the things I did back then. I would be a different momma to my kids. I would be a different wife to the love of my life. I would be a better servant of my King!
  
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end.

In HIS time, he made my marriage a beautiful thing. In HIS time, he made me a better momma. In His time, he is still working on me! Sometimes we get so impatient with life we want it fixed now...but sometimes God says wait on MY time so he can teach us valuable lessons and stretch and refine us. Don’t get me wrong. I hardly have it all together yet, but God is still teaching me and loving me through this beautiful life.  I love the song “Beautiful Things” by Gungor: He makes beautiful things, He makes beautiful things out of us!
  
In this season of thanksgiving, I’m asking myself, “What if I were truly thankful for all HE has done and is doing?” I think we should ask ourselves this question often! Are you looking at life with eternity in mind?

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