Perseverance

"God knows when something glorious in the future necessitates something difficult in the present. Because He knows the glory will be worth it, God will risk being misunderstood."

-Beth Moore

How thankful I am for a God that wants to walk with me through times I just can't understand. I love Him for being o.k. with the fact that I have questions and want to know why. I have had more than a few times in my life where all I could do was trust His hand in leading me. I remember a specific time where I prayed so hard for His direction and His will in a decision. To be honest, I wanted Him to choose the answer I had already chosen. But I asked Him to close the door in a way that I knew only He closed it if the answer was "no." Was I completely broken-hearted when He did just that--closed the door? Oh yes, I cried myself to sleep more nights than I would care to admit.

But God.

He carried us through to so much more than we could ever have asked or imagined. Clearly He had our best interest in mind and knew we had to go through a present difficulty to have that glorious future. I had the good fortune of seeing a glimpse of why God directed our path in the way He did. Years later I had a defining moment in my life as I realized just how fortunate we were that we did not get our answer in the way we wanted.

Yes, the glory is worth it!

As I help my child go through an experience today where I pray he learns this, it is so hard. The mother in me will experience many tears for him. Yet I know God is shaping him to the man he intends for him. And I know he will have an experience to share of how God used this present difficulty to provide a glorious future.

One of my favorite songs reminds me the when we don't understand, when we can't see His plan, when we can't trace His hand, trust His heart.