Resistance and Adversity

The last three weeks or so I have been under FIRE..or in the FIRES of ADVERSITY... Resistance has been everywhere! I did not realize what was happening. While life was not perfect, it was peaceful.. quiet. Then.. the winds began to blow and the LORD told me that by September 23rd my life would see pivotal change. Pivotal means critical.

It is so..

Today is September 22nd and already life is different. I'm no longer writing for the newspaper, not writing on Facebook, may begin working by the end of this week, are looking for another place to live, etc... but.. I would say the BIGGEST changes are within me. This blog reflects some of my wrestling in being changed.

I facilitate an anger management class.. I'm finding that the LORD has been using this class to teach ME some things more about pain and anger myself. He has been squeezing me like a near empty tube of toothpaste to 'bring up' anything left within me that is not like Him and His Character.

GOD knows how to apply the right people, circumstances, and pressures to bring up the 'sludge' within us. I hate that because I hate seeing the junk that lives within my heart. I love it.. because I WANT to be like Him.
There is no going around it.

To sum up my experiences in this blog this week, I would say.. Resistance has been the word.. along with Perspective. These two. For I have learned that even though circumstances and people are TRULY less than desirable at times.. sinful, broken, and in pain.. and while their STUFF does TRY to affect us negatively... how we RESPOND to them and their stuff is the KEY.

IF we react... instead of respond to another.. is it THEIR FAULT? IF we respond.. but in a negative way... is that THEIR FAULT as well?

No.

I have learned that is does not matter HOW anyone ever acts or what they say or don't do or say... (even though they can be wrong and have the potential of affecting us negatively), how WE react or respond to them has NOTHING to do with THEM. THIS problem,.. if done negatively is ALL OURS.

For years I have been blaming those in my life that have not said or done what was right... or what I thought was right... and those same ones who HAVE said and done things that were awfully painful to me. I have blamed them not only for their stuff, but for how I have reacted or responded to it.

I cannot do that any longer!

The LORD came to change my perspective in these last weeks and literally allowed me to be SMOTHERED by these people. They surrounded me like a pillow over ones face... and I could not breathe. The more I cried out.. the WORSE the adversity got.. because I was not crying out on their behalf or on behalf of the LORD to come and change ME.. as much as I was complaining, griping, cussing, and just wishing these would take a 'long walk off a short pier.'

Not pretty.

The LORD helped me to see that I was not honoring Him in my anger. Though anger is one of GOD's emotions and ours as well, AND can be healthy if handled right.. we can either honor or dishonor GOD in the way we handle it. Frankly I have dishonored Him more times than not in mine.

So.. GOD came to turn my head around and to open my eyes and my heart. He showed me things I already knew.... like: Not everyone knows Him, nor the way HE thinks and Lives. So..how can I expect people to 'speak and act' as He does? (And heck.. I know Him to some degree and look how I was acting?!)

Nest.. He reminded me that I need to SEE them as He does... Broken, stuck in bondage in their actions.. and defeated in their lives... also on their way to a greater eternal torment without Him.

This made me ashamed of the way I had been acting and filled my heart with compassion toward these I had been angry with. I also learned in my own class on anger.. some very helpful tools to deal with anger in a godly fashion and how to avoid it as well.

So.. now my perspective was changing...

The next thing was Resistance. I was at the gym and even when flying home on the airplane, Delta had this commercial about how they choose to USE the Adversity of the Wind.. or it's Resistance to CLIMB HIGHER.  The LORD explained to me that EVERY AREA of our lives ENCOUNTERS a type of RESISTANCE or battle and HE made it that way for us to GROW STRONG! We never grow when we GO WITH the WIND.. we grow as we FACE it.. have a right attitude about it and move into it...

It has the POTENTIAL to LIFT us to NEW HEIGHTS where we can SOAR with GOD above the atmosphere and life's circumstances UNTOUCHED.. and in joy and great peace.

Thank You GOD for these trials.. and may I ultimately honor You even in this.