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Hi growinginGrace,

You are not alone in having these trials. There are many good Christians that have gone through what you are going through and some even worse. I myself have been there. I lost a job due to my health. My family (three children) and I were put out on the street. We had to live in a car for 3 months. We had to settle for government housing which took us another month to get in. Later I had quadruple bypass surgery which put me out of work again and I haven't been able to work since. My wife is handicapped and was not able to work during this time either. We had absolutely no income for two years except for food stamps. We couldn't even get a cash check from public aid for that two years.

I am telling you this to let you know that what I have been saying is not "some superficial worn out cliché". Brother, God will see you through. You need to give it all over to him and stop stressing out over it. Stressing is not helping. Brother Jerry and many others gave you some excellent advice in your Need A Job thread.

Yes, my prayers will be with you and gladly so but your peace and success in this is largely up to you in having patience in accepting God's help, not in demanding it immediately.

Hello GrowingInGrace,

Being blessed is a matter of individual opinion and definition. I'm not a super Christian either, but I know that I'm blessed beyond measure. The blessings aren't with health because I can barely walk and deal with continual pain. The blessings aren't with wealth because we are fairly poor and just get by. The blessings are eternal and not measured by the standards of the world.

I am rich and blessed beyond human description.

One of our sweet members made a prayer request today and specifically asked for us to pray for her, "a prayer of thanksgiving". YES - she does have big problems and needs, but she also has thanksgiving in her heart to GOD.

This was a wonderful reminder to me, and I hope it was to others also. We should always pray with thanksgiving. GOD does hear us, and HE answers in HIS own time and in HIS own way and Will. Our part is to many times simply patienty wait upon the LORD, keep trying, and keep praying. Above all, our part is to humble ourselves before GOD and pray that HE shows us the path that HE wants for us - not the path that we want. HIS Way and Will will always be the best for us. I know this is hard to understand many times. Some of our trials bring us closer to GOD and stronger in CHRIST. SO, in many ways, our trials are good for us, and we come out of them stronger and closer to CHRIST. As for me, I can still barely walk, but my prayers were answered. I hope this helps you some.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 135:6 NASB  Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

Psalms 27:14 NASB  Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Romans 8:31-32 NASB  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Amen!

GrowingInGrace yes I will be praying for you.

i am praying for you too.  i am not a super christian either, and have had my problems too.  i know that the only way i am getting thru them is with god.  i know he is there for me and that he loves me.  and he loves you too and he is with you thru all your trials.  just hang in there, and keep on praying, it does help.

gina

[[size=14Thanks every one. I am sorry my post of last night sounded so hard. I was tired and stressed out at the time I wrote it but I am feeling somewhat better after a night of sleep and prayer. Please forgive me for the way I came across as I know things could be a lot worse and God is good always.  I am ashamed to admit though that for a time I was jealous of some who seemed to be blessed more than we are right now. I have repented of my wrong attitude am and seeking God's will for my life what ever it may be.
 Thank you all again for your your prayers and advice. I know God is complete control and will not abandon me in this struggle.  God bless.pt][/size]

Hello GrowingInGrace,

I think that we all understood. I know that I did, and I've certainly been down and stressed out before. You don't have anything to apologize for. Just know that we are praying for you and GOD will work everything out for good. HE really does.

I want to tell you an old story and maybe put a smile on your face. A preacher finally talked one of his lost neighbors into attending a church service, and his first visit was a Wednesday night prayer meeting. The preacher approached him after the prayer meeting and asked him what he thought about the services - hoping that he would have a further opportunity to witness to him. He said, "I don't know if I want to be a Christian or not - you Christians have a lot more problems than I do."

I always thought this story was funny, so I hope it did give you a little grin.

In the meantime KEEP LOOKING UP!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Galatians 6:2 NASB  Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Proverbs 3:3-4 NASB  Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

Psalms 16:8 NASB  I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

my heart is with you ,and i know that Gods plan for us , sometime seams unreal ,but He is preparing us to be fill with acceptance so that we can understand that He is in charge and that everything will turn out right, God is love, and in trouble times we do half to do it one moment at the time, blindly like the Cherokee Indian  boy of Tom.

we often think of Job when we have trials in our lives.  We think Job suffered more than any man should.  I know if I were in Job's shoes...or sandals...I probably would have though God had forsaken him.  And when we read the story of Job we often think that for a time God forsook Job.  But actually if you sit down and read that book again, during the trials of Job, God was closer to Job than ever before.  God was right there with him through each one, the hardships were felt by God as well.  And through it all, Job never once lost faith. 

Faith is not something we can lose.  It is something we choose not use.  Faith is putting our trust in God in all that we do.  Faith is what led the Profits to achieve their glory, Hebrews 11.  It is by faith that we are saved.  And it is by faith that God will open the windows of heaven and rain blessings (paraphrased from Malachi 3:10)

Have faith and trust in God for all things.  He will bring it to you.

GrowingInGrace,
I want to encourage you to not let the talk that your in-laws are doing about you behind your back get to you.  I know it's hard, and I'm assuming your wife is hearing it, is she?  Is she the one telling you what they are saying?  I hope she is if she is hearing it.
One of the worst things we do to ourselves is let what others say about us negatively affect us.  Do not fall into the trap of discouragement by allowing their opinion hinder what God is doing in your life.
If you can put your focus on God, and get back to finding the joy and peace he offers, that will allow you to really glean the blessing He has for you in this trial.  Do not buy into Satan's trick of discouragement.
Remember God's love for you. 
He truly cares.  Even if people are talking.

Glad you are feeling better and trusting God's control in all of this you are going through.

Yes, we all do go through hard times and trials....I've been there, too.  (And some would say I am still there!)  Knowing that God is still with me and loves me, and me leaning on Him is what gets me through the trials.  Also, even though I am not "well off" by a long shot, I still think I am blessed compared to some in our world.

Somehow I missed this until now.  Although you probably don't have internet access now, I just want to offer my prayers for you and your family.