michaem said:
Growing up i never really had any religious upbringing apart from the odd trip to church but i have always had faith and always believed in divine intervention.
I have been through alot losing my daughter was very hard. But have always held on to faith.
I was born in the church of England and have always considered myself a christian,but never really got involved i believe that going to church is not necessary as i believe that my life and surroundings are my church. Am I wrong? Sometimes i fill that i do not do enough personally what are the main values of christianity? What should i be striving to do.
Hi Michaem,
I admire your strength to press....there are times that you know we try our hearts beyond what we could ever imagine for ourselves. The times that are the most exasperating are the times when all human efforts fail. We become powerless. The human arms have been stretch to their limit and there is no relief. These are times that challenge our faith. You can ask yourself this how can I avoid this ferocious riptide of sorrow that seeks to suck all the hope in our life’s? Well Balance is the key. Avoid extremes, stay in the middle of the road. Especially during the rigors of a trial, we must commit ourselves to the consistent behaviors that help us endure. Marathon runners do not wake up one morning and decide to run for thirty miles. No they trained and trained and trained some more. We are called to the task of picking up our crosses daily and trusting that if we remain faithful in the little things, God will see us through the next step.
Sometimes in life you begin to accept what you cannot control and control with all diligence what you can. These are some variables in any storm that you can control. They are the moving parts of life. And usually, that is all we can do, the things that seem inflexible as a concrete wall. God will eventually move them. A pointer:
1. Sometimes when you feel powerless over some things, we are not powerless over all things. We have a choice about how we respond in the face of adversity. We can choose to quit, leaving the track by way of the selfish shortcuts of denial, addiction or betrayal. But if you want to run that race that God has set before you, then stay on track. The path is dark, narrow and steep at times, but He provides enough light to let us see the next step before us.
2. God created us to be resilient if we rely on Him and exercise out faith as we run. He renews those who are weary and exhausted from the arduous journeys and rocky pitfalls of life. He gives us wings of faith on which to fly. He becomes the wind beneath our wings. It seems odd but if you ask any runner, he will tell you that a good long-distance sprinter has to move his body with speed but his breathing must remain calm, steady and focused.
If you are going to run you cant get too excited because anxiety will cut off your wind. Sometimes you just need to steady your pace and face your life. You cannot fix everything. You will be push against some things, and they will not move. When they do no move, just remember that He is stretching you. Clam yourself, steady your course, relinquish your fears, don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. Just lift your head up and keep your back straight and run with patience the race that is set before you. Feel the wind of His breath beneath your wings and soar beyond your own expectations.
In life we meet all different kinds of people, I’ve learned that No, critics know us well; they usually do not care about us or our well-being. The discordant din of discouragements from the Critics is based on their envy, jealousy and discontent. In fact their criticism may actually have nothing to do with you at all. They simply feel cheated by life and rather than take control of their hearts dreams, they would rather squelch other peoples hopes in an attempt to drag them down into the squalor of despair with them. Do not let them get under your skin. They are not worth your time to sit and stew about. Simply listen to them, thank them, and take their criticism with a gain of salt. Save your time to reflective energies for those wise critics whom you trust, that band of men and women who loves you enough to tell you the truth, even when it hurts.
I know sometimes in life we feel lost, we spend so many days, months even years, which we cannot reclaim, and you have been running in circles, the good news is that when you have realize this you can STOP and make today, right now a starting place. Every journey must start somewhere, and the time is now if your not already on your way. Remember that setbacks are really setups for you to come forward and reassess where you are and where you are going. I can name you a few people that have found their “there” and we felt it. People like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, and so on……The point is don’t let the controversial response of your Critics rob you of the reality of you destiny. These people have little in common outwardly.
Look within yourself and you will find the truth. In the end its you and the word of God.
with blessing,
Wayne Fonseca
www.dreamlife.biz
"Do what you can, With what you have, Where you are"
