Eternal Guidance

This week started off in a bumpy fashion. (Would not life be dull if everything was smooth and easy??) My hopes of finding full time employment came crashing down on the same day that my brother left to go back to South Carolina and I lost a piano student. When it rains . . . it pours!

I have recently been studying the book of James. Honestly, when I started this study in the book of James I did not expect to get much out of it. I had studied the book before, had memorized it when I was younger, and did not see how it could apply to what I was currently learning in life. Whoa - I was wrong! Just the first twelve verses have changed me completely.

James commands us to rejoice us in trials. What is a trial? Our first impression when we hear the word "trial" is to think of something negative happening in our lives. Why? Does not everything work out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose? Possessing an eternal perspective causes us to rejoice in so called "trials."

Monday I sat in my car after everything came crashing down. I just sat there with this sick feeling in my stomach saying, "Why God?" He did not comfort me. He simply commanded me to close my worldly eyes and thank Him for His guidance. My Heavenly Father is watching over every detail of my life and carefully guiding me. He loved me enough to tell me "no" and let me be disappointed. He loved me enough to take people from me and make circumstances seem confusing and impossible. He loved me enough to force me to cling to Him. He saw my life in light of eternity.