Everyday Devotions by an Ordinary Christian

Everyday Devotions by an Ordinary Christian
Showing posts with label Hurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hurt. Show all posts

Friday, 1 February 2013

peace given in the worst of times

Tomorrow, I'll be going to a funeral, for the death of the daughter of my piano teacher. She's the most precious thing, such a little princess. Only 6 months old. When I heard this news, I just balled. My piano teacher is the sweetest woman and she always has such peace and patience especially when I don't do my piano homework. But this was the last thing I would ever think could happen. I thought, "she doesn't deserve this", but we all deserve death but God gave us life because of his great mercy. And what God decided to do with this precious life after he gave her life, was to call her back home. Maybe he missed her too much. ;) ahaha but today, I went to the visitation at the funeral home and I saw her lying in her little casket and she looked like a doll, I couldn't help myself I started crying. I needed peace in my heart even though I wasn't the parent of this little soul. I couldn't look into my teacher's eyes or her husband's, I didn't want to cry even more in front of them. That was probably the last thing they wanted. But what took me by surprise was how calm they were. There seemed to be peace within their hearts. That's the amazing thing about our Lord. He offers peace when you most need it, when it seems nearly impossible to have. And the only thing my piano teacher said to me before I balled again was, "I wish you could've seen her more often." I had never got to see her once, and my family had. So she had promised me in the second week of January that she was going to bring her in for one of the lessons. But the day never came, and it never will. The thought just made me cry even more, I really needed strength. I felt silly because I felt like I was struggling more with keeping myself together and strong than they were. Then one of those awesome moments where God puts that random verse in your mind happened. (ps. I wanted to put that verse on their card, but it was too late)
Colossians 1:11
God will strengthen you with his own
great power so that you will 
not give up when troubles come,
but you will be patient.

My teacher and her husband sure had that verse down because they were very patient and seemed like they had strength provided by God so that they could keep strong. And I think I need some of what they have because I am just breaking down. The thing I love though, is how God designed us. He designed us with feelings for one another, we may not be close to a person, but when they're hurting, we hurt too. We don't have to be identical twins to feel each other. We know how depressing death is and how it could affect one's life. We know that many people's heart were dear to the dead's. Sometimes though, we might need help ourselves, and I'm not just talking about girls (my brother couldn't hold himself either and he's a strong person, we had to leave because he couldn't bear to see her lying there). We sometimes look for things to help us through our sadness like food or friends or music. But there isn't always assurance that it will keep you strong. One thing is sure though. That is the Bible. We could relate to it one way or another no matter what our problems are. In this situation, my teacher, her family and her husband and his family, can relate to David. His son was very ill and was going to die, so he grieved and prayed until the day came when his son was called home. Then David did something remarkable, he got up, cleaned himself and worshiped the Lord then ate for he fasted while the child was alive. Everyone was wondering why he wasn't grieving because of his son's death. He said that what was done is done, he can't do anything about it. But while his son was alive, there was still hope that he could become well. He also said that he will see him one day and will be reunited with him. Just like how all those dear to this precious girl will be reunited with her again one day. So all we could do now is clean ourselves and look towards that day when we shall see her again. My teacher and her family will be in my prayers and thoughts, and I am also motivated to work harder on my piano so I don't give her a hard time with it anymore. She has really encouraged me in the 5 years she's been working with me and she has set great goals for me and so far we have accomplished them and I want to continue to accomplish them for I don't want to let her down. This little girl will always be in my heart and she'll always remind me to stay strong and patient when trials come. I just pray for their peace to continue through the funeral ceremony. 




(click on the sentence above to get to it)


Friday, 18 May 2012

One Moment

Some people say that God is always just, merciful, loving, kind, and generous, but
There was one moment when God wasn't just, when God wasn't merciful, when he wasn't loving,
when he didn't show kindness and turned his face away, when he wasn't generous.
That moment was when he sent his son to die 
for the sins of man and suffer on the cross.
God did not show mercy to Jesus, 
he was not just, 
he wasn't loving and turned his face away,
he was not generous and kind to Jesus. 
When Jesus bore our sins upon himself, 
God could not bear to look upon his son.
He did this so that WE may be forgiven,
So that WE could live and praise him forever and be with him in eternity,
so that WE could have a second chance
so WE could walk with him like we once did.
He loved us SO MUCH that he allowed this to happen:







Saturday, 14 January 2012

I Find You When I Fall Apart

I was listening to a song called "Fall Apart" by Josh Wilson, my favourite christian singer/song writer, and it was saying in the song

 "Why in the world did I think I could only get to know you when my life was good? When everything just falls in place, the easiest thing is to give you praise. Now it all seems upside down. Cause my whole world is caving in, but I feel you now, more than I did then, I cannot come to the end of me, and somehow still have all I need. God, I want to know you more, maybe this is how it starts, I find you when I fall apart."

I just love the lyrics to this song because they're absolutely true words. I find myself praising the Lord more when I feel blessed and in my time of trouble, I don't praise Him, instead, I call out to Him. I find that I get to know more about how my Lord works, and I find Him better when my life is "falling apart" or when I don't understand why these little problems and troubles keep popping up in my life.

As it also says in his other song, "Before the morning", "The pain that you've been feeling is just the hurt before the healing, just the dark before the morning." The problems that your faced with in your life, they will turn into something better than that, they will help you gain wisdom, confidence, a stronger character, peace, happiness, and many more marvellous things. When you think that your life's about to end, think again, it is just the beginning to greater things.

Here's the song if you want to hear it.


Saturday, 12 November 2011

Josh Wilson - I Refuse

I was just watching this music video. It touched my heart, I have been oblivious to many things and acted as if I hadn't noticed that that person had been hurting or that even my friends needed a hand sometimes, I would be too lazy to help and when my turn came, needing for help, I didn't take time and think that they were being kind and gracious to me.


http://youtu.be/6B1Lv8k5pEc

Sorry,  this video doesn't work if you try and play it on my blog, you'd have to click on the link above to view it.

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Loving others (Behind the Scenes)

I had just started my first year of high school a couple of months ago with excitement and anxiousness.
Not knowing what I was going to face, whether God was going to use me or use others to help me grow strong in character, what adventures he might bring upon me and what troubles and stresses I might go through. All these thoughts were running through my head as I took my first step into the building with my friends.

It looked normal, but what was behind the scenes at my high school? What were the students like?

High School is a major leap from Elementary school. More work, bigger facilities, more students, more studying, gym everyday (I'm not much of an athlete, I just like Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jujitsu), more rotary, and harder teachers.

But what was so good about high school was that you can find more people who you enjoy to be around, whereas in elementary school, you were practically forced to be friends with the people in your grade since Kindergarten until grade 8 graduation. This was an advantage for me. I figured, the more people who would listen to me, the more I can share God's love, and in a Christian school! So they've already had some background knowledge from chapel.

I would like to share with you a heart changing experience that I've had in my first semester of high school.

My homeroom is science which I have with one of my close friends, I didn't really get to know much people then because we were just settling in and getting to know our teacher, but one person caught my eye right away, and I'm pretty sure he caught everyone's eyes too. You can't miss him. He was a boy about 6"5 and here I am 4"11 or maybe 5"0. About double my height. WOW. I know. All my life I've dreamed of being tall, but I never thought about being that tall. When you think about Goliath, he sounds pretty tall, but you don't actually see his height, you just get a written description. Now, I think that Goliath was massive because the boy is only 6"5 and Goliath was like 9 feet!

See, this boy, I got to know him as the days went by, he is actually the sweetest boy I have ever come across, but what I didn't know about him was all behind those eyes of his.

I was talking to him one day in one of the classes we had together and another girl as well and we were talking about our elementary school years, the girl was telling me about how she wasn't treated properly because she was born in U.S.A.! Isn't that crazy? People will try to find any reason to bring you down and to raise themselves up. The boy on the other hand wasn't treated well either because of how tall he was! That tore my heart away, all the stories I have heard, it was unbelievable! I started to pray for them, for them to find someone whom they can trust and someone who will treat them as a friend, a true friend. I also gave them my link to my blog.

Later I asked the boy if he looked at my blog, he told me that he didn't have time but he always had that piece of paper with him that had the link on it. That brightened up my spirit. It told me that I was doing the right thing.

That night I went on my blog and found that i had a new follower. I took a look at my comments and found one by a person named Tall but small. I laughed, surely this was the boy. I was so happy that he commented. I clicked on his name and on his profile it showed that he had a blog. I decide to read it and follow it because he didn't have anyone following it. What I read in the next 10 minutes broke my heart. It showed me what I was missing. People in the world look like they're having a great time and enjoying their lives, but once you look behind the scenes, its a whole other world that they're living in. But at the end of each post, he wrote about how he could always count on God to help him get through his pain and how He'll always be there for him. This showed me that I had really impacted someone. After he took a look at my blog it inspired him to make one of his own and I think that through this process he was strengthening his faith in God. Before it seemed as if he had given up on God but now he's a whole new person. I feel like God had used this boy in my life to show me that there are many others in the world who need this type of love and understanding, and a friend. He had also recently added a post called  Friends, it was about me and it showed me how much I impacted his life and how much he impacted mine.
If you want to visit his blog, and know more about him, here's the link:
http://goodformegoodforu.blogspot.com/

Thursday, 11 August 2011

Be Strong

Don't let the devil hinder you, instead stand up to him and show that you are strong and that the Lord's on your side. If there's someone that's hurting you or bullying you, to show them that you can't be easily bruised you have to show that you are strong. With the Lord on your side, strength, wisdom, happiness, and peace are also on your side. They may not stop hurting you, but there is someone greater than all your enemies that is watching over you and the next steps you take, and that's the Lord, he won't leave your side ever and he'll stop harm from coming your way. Just allow him to do the work and you'll always be safe. 

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Facing the Giants

Facing the giants of the world may not be so easy, but with Faith, anything is possible.


David defeated Goliath because he had faith that the Lord would help him in the process, all he brought with him was 5 stones. One for Goliath and his siblings.
David was planning on defeating each of those giants with just one shot and one stone. We don't need the world to help us defeat the world and the challenges it brings upon us, we need faith on our side, because with faith we have the Lord on our team. 

What Do You Do When You Feel Confused, Sad, Mad, or just about anything?

I love to sing and sometimes it just helps me calm down. Whenever I'm just so sorry about something that I did that would displease the Lord and my parents I try to find a song that would help me calm down and get rid of my guilt. The song that always works and is one of my favourites is called "Who Am I". It talks about how lucky we are that even though we're far from perfect, God still acknowledges us and cares for us.

 Who Am I
Who am I
 That the Lord of all the Earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt


Who am I 
That the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart


Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are


chorus
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow 
Like a wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the winds
Still You'd hear me when I'm calling
Lord You'd catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am


bridge 
I am Yours
I am Yours
I am Yours


Who am I
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look at me with love
And watch me rise again


Who am I
That the voice that calms the sea
Would call after the rain
And calm the storm in me


Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are


chorus
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
Like a wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the winds
Still You'd hear me when I'm calling
Lord You'd catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am


bridge
I am yours
I am yours
I am yours


Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
Cause I am yours


Whom shall I fear
I am yours