Picking up the pieces...

"When you and I let down those walls of fear and trust God for the greater good, we'll find a measure of healing and restoration just as Joseph did. Instead, we often want to cling to the pain. That kind of thinking only keeps us in the pit and allows our wounds and fears to fester and grow. God has so much more for us.

What was meant for evil in your life, God wants to use for your good.

The Lord wants to bring you and me out of the pit and place us in His palace. The choice is ours. We can focus on our bad experience and miss the joy that can be ours. Or, like Joseph, we can take the risk, venture out, forgive those who hurt us and truly believe that God has a greater good in His plans for our future."

I can definitely admit, that Saturday and Sunday, I was choosing to cling to the pain... to dwell in the suffering. There was something strangely comforting about allowing myself to be really sad, angry, and frustrated. Honestly, I allowed myself to wallow in the sadness, to cry...a lot, and to just be plain pissed off at the situation. But like my devotion said today, the choice is ours. If we risk to believe that God has a greater good and wants more for us, then we have to choose to move forward.

I am making attempts to pick up the pieces of my heart. To allow God to restore me. To remind myself that God is my source of Hope. I am choosing to trust that He allowed this to happen for a greater good, and trust me, that is REALLY hard to do. The pain is extremely deep and really raw. I am reminding myself to believe He has a plan for us to have a family. I am begging to not doubt.

It is a step by step process. A lot of times, I don't feel like I can even lift one foot to move forward...

And then I am reminded...that the Lord will carry me. The Holy Spirit will pray on my behalf...and I can just be.

"One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. 

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. 

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. 

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, 

other times there was one only. 

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, 

when I was suffering from anguish, 

sorrow or defeat, 

I could see only one set of footprints, 

so I said to the Lord, 

“ You promised me Lord, 

that if I followed you, 

you would walk with me always. 

But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life 

there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. 

Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, 

“ The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, 

my child, is when I carried you.”

--Author Mary Stevenson--

Praying-

Much Love-

Al