Hardships

Yesterday in the service, our pastor made a statement that hit me like a ton of bricks. He stated that all the great apostles from the Bible suffered great hardships and that these trials taught them of their own inadequacies and their need for the Holy Spirit's leading in every area of their lives. He argued that they had learned the lesson that they could do nothing on their own without God's help.

This was very insightful to me. Probably the biggest change in my spiritual walk since I have become ill has been the constant reminder that although I can change my lifestyle to include a low sodium diet, a hearty walk each afternoon, constant monitoring of my fluid intake, blood pressure, weight, etc. I cannot control what happens to my body. Only God has that power. Although in my mind I have always known that, I am reminded of it every time my heart does a flip-flop, or flutter, or waiver. It is a constant reminder that this world is not my home and that I have no power in it, except what is granted to me through God's grace and mercy. This lesson has spilled over into all the other areas of my life and I am constantly reminded that all I can do in this life is to seek God's will and pray that He gives me a chance to make a difference in someone's life.

So, although I would never wish hardships on anyone, nor would I choose them for myself, I am thankful for the lessons that we learn from them and am hoping that maybe others can learn from my hardships and not have to face them themselves. :-)