LLTP: Part 4

Last week, my wonderful friend, Queen B, wrote this post that really hit home for me. It's something that has been on my mind almost constantly for the past 29 days and something I know didn't just happen into my mind.

I know God put it there.

And I know He had a lesson He wanted to teach me.

A lesson that I'm sure He has been trying to teach me for a long time...but I wasn't ready to listen or rather I was too stubborn to hear.

I'm not one to sit back and let life come as it can. I need to be in control. I need to have my foot on the gas and my foot on the brake and control everything that happens. I need to make lists; I need to be involved; I need to prioritize; I need to be in charge (or think I am).

But, God has shown me that what I've really been needing to realize is that being "still" and obeying His commands is where all my focus should be. And what better way to finally make me stop, shut up and listen.

I'm not saying that God wanted to cause me pain...He just needed to open my eyes to something He has been telling me all along.

We've been having a conversation similar to this for quite some time now.

But it's so hard, God.

But, Amy, I never said loving me and following me was going to be easy.

But, God, I have so much that I want to do.

What about me, God, what about me?

Amy, it's not your will, but the will of the Father that you need to be following.

But how, God?

And through all this pain, I was finally still...and heard it all.

Be still and really hear and God's direction will be revealed. Will I hear it every time from now on? Probably not, but I do have a better grasp on what I need to be searching for in my life...His will and only His will.

Life Lessons Through Pain: Part 3

In continuation of my series, LLTP, I'm going to focus on those chunks of life we are given and what God wants us to do with them.


How many of you out there would admit to the fact that the bites you take out of your "chunks" of life are a bit too big?


I will...or at least I used to and am working on down-sizing my bites.


I have been reminded so many times in the past 22 days that I can't see the big picture, but thankfully God can and because of this I need to take each part of life I am presented with and give it to God...give it to God completely...and ask for His mercy and grace and direction on each area.


Too often I was guilty of biting off way more than I could handle or way more than I needed at the time always hoping that I would make it through. Notice I said I would make it through. Too often I relied on myself or told myself that I could get through it when all I really needed was to take it to God and ask to make it through TOGETHER.


God has promised this to us. In Psalm 33:4 it says, "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does."


Rely on that hope and faith God has promised and make your "bites" a little smaller today. God is gracious and merciful and will guide you through each chunk based on the big picture as long as you seek His will be done in your life.

Life Lessons Through Pain: Part 2

Last week I begin a series called Life Lessons Through Pain as a way for me to journal the things God has taught me through my hand experience.

In the second part of this series, I want to talk about learning (or better yet, being reminded) how God gives us strength to match the trials we face.

Chopping one's fingertips off one's dominant hand doesn't exactly sound like a joyous occasion...and I can attest that it was not. But, through it all, I've learned that God never left my side.

And you know what? He is still there...getting me through...helping me find strength where I didn't know strength existed.

There's not a caffeinated drink in the world that could have gotten me through these last few weeks, but, God can and has.

He's given me strength in my less-dominant arm and hand and shown me that anything my right hand can do, I'm sure my left hand can follow suit at.

There's the writing, the cutting, the hair washing, the shaving, the cleaning, the bed making, the clothes folding, the vacuming, the dinner making...all now being performed with the strength Christ has given me in my left hand and arm.

1 Chronicles 16:11 says to "Look to the Lord and his strength; and seek his face always," had this verse and my experience has reminded me that in ALL things that I do, I must seek my strength from Christ.

May you be reminded of His strength today and rely on it to help you through.

Life Lessons through Pain: Part 1

My hand experience has been one on my mind constantly now for 8 days.

8 days of pain.

8 days of thinking about what limits have overcome me.

8 days of feeling sorry for myself.

8 days to think.

And through it all, God has taught me so many things. I will cover these things over the next few weeks in my "Life Lessons though Pain" series each Tuesday. I hope you find comfort, strength and peace in what God has taught me.

So, let me kick off the inaugural LLTP by refreshing your memory with this verse. A verse that has been near and dear to my heart for years, but one that holds extra meaning these past few days.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God has shown me, better yet, reminded me through my experience that His purpose is the one that I should be seeking to complete. My aspirations, my goals, my wants and my needs matter not if He isn't in control of them.

I feel that I had come to a place in my spiritual walk with Christ that had me prioritizing all these other "things" before Christ. And in a blink of an eye, in a fraction of a second, they became "things" with no meaning or purpose because I realized that I hadn't sought out God's direction and purpose for these "things."

I think more often than not, we are all guilty of becoming complacent and numb to those things that don't really matter in life and my wake-up call to this came sooner than later. God has shown me that He is the first thing on my priority list yesterday, today and tomorrow and with Him at the helm of this ship, I can accomplish all things He has called me to do as long as they are according to His purpose.