By John Kubicek
Very early this morning, on an extremely cold wintry day here in Iowa, I finished reading "The Christmas Sweater", the best-selling novel by Glenn Beck. I will never, ever forget the thoughts that ran through my mind as I finished the last several chapters. I was overwhelmed.
Overwhelming feelings can come in different ways. I remember, quite vividly, the way I was overwhelmed almost five years ago when my wife passed away. That was overwhelming grief. It was a storm in my life that I eventually got through, but it was difficult. It did take some time.
And then there are times when we can experience overwhelming joy. The birth of a child comes to my mind, right off the bat, especially when we are talking about the child born in a manger 2000 years ago, the great gift that God has given us.
Well, even the birth of our own children, and all that we see while our loved ones progress through life - even when they have to struggle through their own storms - can all lead to overwhelming joy!
However, each of us are going to have different reactions to the way we see the storms in our lives, just as we will take different roads to deal with the storms.
The way we deal with our storms defines who we are. For those of us who face our storms, and reach the other side of the storm as it eventually passes by, we are rewarded, in ways you may haven't thought of. You will find many people that have faced the storms in their lives and overcame them will go on to help many other people. Glenn Beck is a great example of that, as this gentleman attests to:
So, as you are struggling through your storms, the ones in your past, present, and future, you can feel additional inspiration and confidence by knowing that at some point you will be there to assist somebody else through their storm. And maybe that is why God puts those storms in front of us from time to time. That's an answer that is truly overwhelming!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
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2 comments:
I don't know Glen Beck, but I wish I did. Sounds great.
All of us face storms in our lives, and I have been taught and thoroughly believe storms are there to make us stronger and to teach us or to put us in a place more to God's plan.
I lost my husband of 43 years two hears ago, December 6, and I thought it would kill me. Throughout his illness I knew there was a possibility he wouldn't make it, and though unaccustomed to prayer, I uttered many, many in the 4 months he was hospitalized, and the prayers consisted primarily of "Lord, just help us deal with your decision. We don't know what is coming, but we know it is your will. Let us be able to deal with it".
He did die. He died a very graceful and quiet death - a perfect model for me. And God helped me deal with it even up to talking that same day with the tissue bank people as he was a donor.
Following his death I returned to church from which I had been absent for years and years. I have had many conversations with my pastor and am so very comfortable now in my place in the world and in God's house. I suspect my husband's death is the catalyst it took for me to return to a religion I had previously abandoned. Two years now, and I am a content and active person who is proud to testify of the goodness and mercy of my God. My prayer is that all reading this will take from it that God is with you. All you have to do is accept that fact and do not shut him out. He hurts just as much as you do. He will hold your hand. He held mine and I didn't deserve it, but He did it anyway.
I have approved your fantastic comment! Thank you! And God Bless you, tasine. Your testimony means a lot to me, as it will to many of the people that read this.
I have a friend that lost his wife of many years, I think it was 26, and he is still in much pain and anquish. It was in April of 2007, just two weeks before I met him. He has had to face the storm a lot over the last year and a half. I do not even know how he does it. But somehow... ..
But I can tell you this, I have not given up on him, and I remind him every day, because we do talk every day, that God hasn't given up on him, either.
In a couple of days, he should be receiving the copy of "The Christmas Sweater" I bought from Amazon and shipped to him.
And yes, I've reminded him that we all face our storms. My wife died four years ago. I am still dealing with it.... and like in this writing, I am sure it is in a very different way than he has to go through, or anyone else, including you. It is, though, how we can help each other through those storms. We expect miracles, and we receive miracles... and sometimes they do not come in the way we expect. We don't all get that Huffy bicycle for Christmas. Sometimes, we just get that stupid Christmas sweater.... and not even realize what the gift really meant to the giver. We should not be nonchalant recipients of any gift, especially that one great gift that God has given us! The reason for this season!
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