Day 315 - "It's All Good"

I’m sitting here next to the fire in my rocking chair listening to Love Came Down. How many times this year have I been right here, thinking about my day and all that happened? How many times just thinking about my years with Julia and how much she meant to me? I went to Bethel Atlanta for church this morning. I wanted to hear Steve Thompson. I haven’t heard him speak in many years. Steve came and spoke to our leadership at RiverStone in the early days and had a tremendous impact on us as a church and individually.

Today he had a great message. I definitely want to hear it again. But in all messages, there are some things that are highlighted just for you by the Holy Spirit. Today was no exception. Steve was talking about how God uses all things for good. He doesn’t cause all things, but when bad things happen, we have a choice. If we choose to press into His love and to not question His goodness, that positions us to allow Him to work in our behalf. Steve said that he believes that when we suffer loss, and stay close or draw closer to God, we are positioned for an upgrade in our ministry and power and in the presence of God. I believe Him. I believe that I am walking right now in the beginning of an upgrade in every area of my life.

I consider it a miracle that I am where I am right now. But at the same time I know that my choices, deliberate choices at times, have positioned me to receive this miracle. Some of the choices that I had to make were these. I had to choose to let some things go and not demand answers to every question. I had to choose to believe that despite my circumstances; God is good and always be good because it is His nature. I had to choose not to question Him or get mad at Him. I don’t think I was ever mad at Him. I’ve been mad at myself and some of the doctors, but I can truly say that I was never mad at God. I had to choose to look at what He is doing and not what He ois not doing. There are probably many other choices, but those are the ones that came to mind right now.

So, where am I today, on day 315? I believe that I am continuing to be healed. Healing for wounds like these is a process, but I believe that Papa has allowed this process to be speeded up in my heart because of the choices that I have made. Iknow that there is more to go, especially in the next month and a half, but He will give me the grace to both enjoy and to endure. I truly do love Him, so much. His love is what has sustained me in the hard times. Sometimes His loves comes directly from Him, but many tines it comes from family and friends. That’s love with “skin on”, and we can all be his conduits for that kind of love.

I am so blessed and so grateful to have family and friends. I am so blessed to have my four granddaughters. Each one gives me blessing in different ways. The same can be said for my daughters ans son-in laws. I guess the people that get noticed the least are my friends. They have all stood by my family in prayer and in love all year. Truly I am a blessed man, and I hope that you all will receive the heartfelt thanks. Writing this blog has helped me heal, and I pray that it has helped heal others as well. So as I close tonight, rest in this fact. It’s all good when we know God and trust in His Goodness.