Life is worth the Journey

Life is so worth the journey. Life contains the ups, and life contains the downs. They are all a part of Gods big, huge, wonderful plan. Each moment in life, each up, each down- they are all a puzzle piece, and though each individual piece may not look pretty, together, they fit perfectly. I am reading a book called The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. He said,

I have never been often near expiring, though I was never so much satisfied as
then. Accordingly I did not pray for any relief, but I prayed for strength to
suffer with courage, humility, and love. Ah, how sweet it is to suffer with God!

Brother Lawrence understood that suffering was a part of Gods great and wonderful plan, and he was more than excited to be a part of this plan. He also wrote,

What gives me some ease and sweetens the feeling I have of your griefs is that
they are proofs of God’s love towards you.

What? That is so not modern thinking. We think of pains and suffering as God punishing us. We think that when we suffer, God just forgot about us. How is it possible that the sufferings are proof that God loves us?
Let me tell you a story. On September 29, 2009 Alyssa Geske went to the Lord after a 2 year long battle with brain cancer. I went to the funeral not understanding why she had to die- she was supposed to live to tell her story, not die so young. But here’s the thing. She did tell her story and she will continue to tell her story. She was a courageous girl who went through more pain and suffering than most people will ever go through. At her funeral, people told of her strength in God, and though she was not ready to leave this world, she understood that it was part of Gods plan to complete her puzzle. She never stopped loving her savior and I know she is so excited to be up there with him right now.
Her death is now part of my puzzle. Her death taught me so much. I will always remember Alyssa and her bright red hair, and I will remember her as the girl who died loving God with all her heart.

Pains and suffering would be a paradise to me, while I should suffer with my
God; and the greatest pleasures would be hell to me, if I could relish them
without Him; all my consolation would be to suffer something for his sake.

- Brother Lawrence

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Fall has come. And snow.
I love Colorado!

And if you have not met them yet, this is Rob and Pat. Yes, Rob and Pat. They are my newest pets, and they are great. They eat a lot, which means they "dispense" a lot. Which means I have to clean the tank a lot... but they are totally worth it! :)