Last year I sat in a faculty meeting at APIU writing in my journal. This is what I wrote:
Two months from today I'll be on a plane back from Cambodia. And then the States.. . We're in faculty meeting. Damrong is showing us a preview of a faculty retreat I'll never attend.
After writing that entry I flipped to the back of the journal and folded a page. I wrote:
March 26, 2009
Father, I'm praying the unfilled, unknown pages into your hand. I'm trusting you now with these pages. I want to commit myself to your promises.How did God bless you between March 26 and _____________?
Tonight I finally reached my folded page: April 30, 2010. Here are some of the blessings I have received since I folded that page in my journal.
1. God gave me a job that doesn't consume my life. For once I don't work every night--I have a life outside of school (gasp).
2. I have found some solid friends in Orlando. (As iron sharpens iron friends, Prov. 27:17).
3. God provided a car, a place to live, and even a new bike :)
4. When the future seemed most unsure, God sent people to encourage me (my parents and the Redding church members).
5. God gave me a six months to reconnect with my parents.
6. God gave me some good colleagues to work with.
7. I have (as one friend mentioned recently) a rich life with things to do, adventures to have, and events to look forward to.
I'm grateful for my blessings and yet I'm not satisified. No, I want more blessings!! I love the idea that I read in Desire of Ages that God's blessings actually prepare us for more blessings. A larage blessing would be for a greater hunger for God and then (of course) there are temporal blessings I'm praying for. I'm so grateful for God who gives and keeps giving.
"But the gifts of Jesus are ever fresh and new. The feast that He provides for the soul never fails to give satisfaction and joy. Each new gift increases the capacity of the receiver to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. He gives grace for grace. There can be no failure of supply. If you abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift today insures the reception of a richer gift tomorrow. The words of Jesus to Nathanael express the law of God's dealing with the children of faith. With every fresh revelation of His love, He declares to the receptive heart, 'Believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.' John 1:50."
Desire of Ages 148
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi Julie
Thank you for sharing this. I wish that my eyes are bigger to see the many blessings that God has given me...instead of looking only at closed doors.
Keep on writing! :) Praying for you.
Great post. I especially envy number 1!
Journal writing - now that's a productive way of sitting through faculty meetings. Will remember that for the next one!
:-)
By number 1, I meant blessing number 1!
Deanna:Thanks for the encouragement and prayers. :)
Marlise: I know. I know. I envy myself. Ha. Ha. And yes, writing in your journal is a great way to spend faculty meeting.
Post a Comment