The Holy Spirit prepares us...

I have been thinking today about something God lead me to read and ponder a couple months ago (multiple times). It is the fact that He uses His Holy Spirit to bring "trouble" into our lives in order to strengthen and refine us. When I feel like life isn't going the way I would choose for it to go, it always helps to know for certain that everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) happens for a specific reason. Sometimes the reason things happen are for the benefit and purification of those around us; but I think, most of the time, things happen for multiple reasons that we could never grasp the complexity of. Just think about the timing that occurs to place each of us where we are right this second. If everything didn't happen the way God designed, then you would be in a different house, with a different family, and we could go on forever down that wormhole. My point is this--if you have something that is bothering you, and it keeps coming up, then God is probably telling you to work on that "something". For example, if you are impatient, God will place you in situations that put your patience to the test until you improve. If you are quick to anger, He will probably allow you to be angry often. If you covet (or are jealous) of things others have, He will allow you to see others with things you have dreamed of having. Why? I think it is so we realize that those emotions and feeling are not of God, and they are not pleasant to have. God is patient, merciful, and kind. This is all done out of love, and when you recognize that, the Light of God will brighten and color your world in a way you could never imagine.

AMEN