I Cry Out!

I recently found out that my friend's mother passed away unexpectedly. And this is all I can say:

There are so many things I don't understand. But I'm slowly realizing that's okay. It's precisely my inability to understand that drives me to my Savior, that forces me to trust in Him and Him alone. My good intentions mean nothing. My ability to help means nothing. God will do whatever with whomever he chooses and I can't question His infinite wisdom. Even beyond that, God loves me and His care is so tender for me. He is not an unfeeling dictator, and every painful circumstance I face or witness is a loving nudge from Him to make me more like Christ. I throw my hands up and cry out, "God, I don't understand!" But I trust. I trust your wisdom, your promises, and your goodness. I will stand strong with my eyes firmly fixed on Him. I will press on.

Truths That Have Become Very Real to Me in the Past Week

- God controls every detail of my life.
(Proverbs 16:9)

- The Holy Spirit is the great comforter.
(John 14:27)

- I need not explain myself. I should be quiet as Christ was before His persecutors.
(Isaiah 53:7)

- Mary did not justify herself. She waited on God and she pondered things in her heart. I should do the same.
(Luke 2:19)

- Submission is not easy.
(1 Peter 2:13-15)

- I can't please everyone and shouldn't even try. I need only concern myself with pleasing God.
(Matthew 10:28)

- God is my sufficiency.
(Psalm 73:26)

- God's forgiveness is lavish.
(Micah 7:18-19)

- Truly trusting God is the key to everything.
(Proverbs 3:5)

- Always think the best about people in every circumstance.
(1 Corinthians 13:7)

I'm Learning...

I've learned so much about myself in the past couple of days, it's overwhelming! God is so good to grow us and stretch us even when it is extremely painful at times.

“Unlike the people-pleaser, who worries himself sick when he senses that he may have displeased someone by his words (or actions), the person who pleases God knows how to dismiss such anxiety with the assurance that he has, in fact said (or done) that which pleases God. Now it’s not that the God-pleaser never wonders whether he could have said things better, or that he never ponders a more biblical course of action than the one he took, or that he doesn’t listen to valid criticism and ask for forgiveness when he knows that he has sinned in the process of trying to please God, but if he knows that he hasn’t sinned, he does not worry or fret about the consequences of his actions. He trust God to use what he has said or done for His glory, and he knows that God is causing all things to work together for his own good.”
-Lou Priolo
Pleasing People

Update

Hey friends! Thank you for all of you that have been praying for me and my family. As you know from my last post, my aunt has been very sick with cancer and was getting worse very quickly. Many of you have been praying for her. Well, yesterday evening my aunt went to be with the Lord. I thank God that she had a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and is with her Savior in heaven.

I will be going to the funeral which is in Massachusetts. I will fly out on Sunday morning and come home on Wednesday. Please continue praying for my cousins Liz and Justin and my uncle Paul who does not know the Lord. Pray for my uncle's salvation and also that I would be a help and comfort to my cousins and the rest of the family while I am there.

God gives and God takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. I praise God that through this trial His name is being glorified and I trust He is accomplishing His perfect will in my life and in the lives of my family members.