What doesn't kill you......

.....will make you stronger???

I've heard that comment twice in the past 2 days!!!
So...you know what it means when we hear something twice?!?!?
God must be trying to tell us something....well, trying to tell me something in this case, since you all didn't hear it....
or did you hear it, too????

There are so many things that happen to us in life that we just don't understand how in the world we will make it thru. I talked to my sweet sister-in-law for a long time on the phone Sunday night...and she told me that when she lost her Mother that she thought she was also going to loose her mind. When I lost my Dad, I had days that I just didn't know how I could go on, even though I didn't see him every day, I still missed him so badly and the hurt just seemed like it was so very deep and would never go away!!!

Have you ever had something tragic happen to you???
Have you lost people you love due to death...have you faced devastating news concerning your health, or the health of a family member, or friend...have you been thru a divorce...have you lost a child???
These are very difficult things to have to endure.
Have you been thru things not quite so tragic, but still hurtful, hard to understand....like the ending of a friendship....someone turning their back on you when you need them most....someone talking about you "behind your back", possibly even telling lies on you??
There are so many things that each of us have to face each day of our lives.

Here is the definition of "life":

The quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body.
and
The sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual.

The part about that definition that stands out to me is "vital and functional being"....from a "dead body".

Until we die...we can expect that we will have to go thru things in life that aren't pleasant...God did not promise us just because we became one of His children that our lives would suddenly be all "peaches and cream", or "a bed of roses". If it is a bed of roses, then we need to expect that there will be lots of thorns to go along with the flowers!!!

Here are some verses of scripture that I found that were very comforting to me concerning facing things that life brings our way:

1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

James 1:2-4 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Don't you just love what James had to say.....
"I will be perfect and complete....needing nothing"!!!
How I long for that day!!!

Hallelujah!!!

In His Love....and with mine!!!