All Things DO Work Together

My, my, yesterday was the first day in a couple weeks that I missed posting. Sorry 'bout that y'all. We were in the lovely land of Madison for the day and since we had to leave around 5am, I just couldn't do it. I'm back this morning, though I won't deny that I'm a little more sore and achy, and I am so excited to share what God has laid on my heart this morning.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
 It's a verse that I tend to read in one of two ways. 1. Read it while basking in the awesomeness of who God is and His perfect plan, or 2. Read it with frustration and skepticism, wondering how on earth everything could possible work out for good because this situation is just too awful!
Now obviously, the first one is much more honoring and glorifying to God, however, when in the midst of trials and tribulations it is very easy to lose sight of who God is and what He has done and what He will do. (At least for me, maybe y'all don't have that problem.)
As I look back on the past year - something I enjoy doing at birthday time - there was one particular trial, a midst others throughout the year, that lasted nearly all year and that I questioned God about continually. It would come in spurts, but I found each one just as frustrating as the next. What I did not see as I was going through it, was that God was using this trial to make me question a lot of things about life and about my future. In fact, I was so confused about what my future would hold as I headed into the week of my 18th birthday, that I was struggling to hang onto the vision that my family has had for a long time about older daughters staying under their father's protection and working with their families. I did not see that God was preparing my heart for all the answers to all the questions that I had asked Him in the last year. Then on Thursday night He dropped them on my lap. (The last post explains all that.) Had God not taken me through these emotional, frustrating situations my heart would not have been ready to hear the answers, nor would I have ever asked those questions.
At this moment in time, I am reading Romans 8:28  as I bask in God's awesomeness! But I have not forgotten how I struggled with this verse before. God really does work ALL things together for good. The verse does not say that "all things are good to them that love God," nope, it says, "all things work together for good to them that love God." God takes a bunch of "things" (good things, bad things, uncomfortable things, frustrating things, emotional things) and He works them together. It reminds me of when my Dad and I were constructing my loft bed. Some parts were easy to put together, some of the bolts were really hard to get in, some we extremely frustrating, but in the end they fit perfectly in place and I have a wonderful bed that I am writing from. My Dad took all those different pieces and frustrating moments and he worked them together to create a bed. That's what God does for us. He takes the tears, the confusion, the pain, the pathetic cries of, "What are you doing here?????" and He creates something beautiful.

My brothers and sisters, if you are struggling through a time in your life where you don't see how God could ever work this situation together for good, let me tell you that oftentimes the bigger the trial, the higher the hurdle, the more exhausting the excursion.......the bigger and better the end results. Other Christians have struggled. Other Christians still struggle. There are things that my family still struggles in seeing how God can work it all for good, but we know He can.
Although I may not know the situations that all of you face, I am praying for you. Because of this sinful world we live in there will always be trails and temptations, but who can ever find a Friend so faithful? God will lead and guide you through these times. He may have to mold and soften and confuse, but in the end you will find out why.