Sometimes it can take years to find real happiness within yourself. Sometimes it takes some hard blows to find pure happiness. Sometimes it takes walking beside someone to teach you the meaning of the words you speck. Sometimes it takes sharing in someone else's heartbreak, to teach you that silence and a arm around the shoulder, is the best thing.
It is the heart felt happiness. It is the happiness that fills the soul and reaches on and on and on. It is the pure happiness that comes to help you with the experiences that life throws at you. We can be happy. But I have learned through life's experiences, what really gives me true happiness. The other day my daughter gave me some words of wisdom. She said to me; "Mom you have to learn that you can't depend on someone else for happiness, you have to find it within yourself. Until then you will never know true happiness."
A year ago last November, I walked into a small nursing home room of a dear gray haired man that I called my second dad, and he called me his "daughter". I will never forget the fear I felt that crisp morning when my husband and I drove to that little home just on the outskirts of town. I had never been inside a place like that. But I had promised and I was going to keep that promise. As we parked and got out I never knew what awaited me just inside those glass doors. I never knew that I would be changed forever. I never knew that this was one of God's plans for helping me see the true beauty of living, the thing that would give me peace, that would help me through what was to be in my future.
In our hymn book we have a song that I love. A song that I didn't under until now. The chorus goes like this. "In love the Father ever veils the future, Hides from us tomorrows care; For well He knows todays own burdens are, enough for you and me to bear." I love these simple words. Now I know the wisdom of God when He chose to hide the future from my view. I now know the love in His heart as He gently prepared me for what could lay ahead.
I didn't realize that crisp fall morning, that God was taking my hand and leading me over the threshold into a brand new world. A world that He knew I may need in my unknown future. A world I would never chose for myself.
I now realize I am just a vessel in the hands of the God that made the universe and made me. He knows my future. He knows just what I need. He sees where I am not allowed to see. He knows what I'm not allowed to know. I know that if I can just trust, that He will give me what I need to find joy in all things.
There is another hymn that I have learned the true meaning of, and has become a real comfort to me. The chorus is: "I will leave it all to Jesus, For I know He understands, Things in life I cannot alter, I will leave in Jesus hands." He hasn't only hid the future from me, but He has given me a place to leave my cares. Things that I have no power over. Things that are to big for me to bear. He realizes I am just a child. I am just a human. I am to tiny to face the future alone.
He has led me places that I would never of went on my own. Places that I would never of chosen. I could not chose them, because I don't know my future. I don't know what I really need. I am just human. I am just a vessel. I am small and don't understand. I am weak and in need of someone much stronger than I. And God knows all these things. He knows and He cares, so He works with me in gentleness, through life's experiences. All I need to do is follow.
All I need to do is follow. Those use to be hard words for me. I didn't want to be the "vessel". I wanted to be God. That is why true peace was withheld from me. I had to learn my place. I had to accept my part in life. And God showed that to me in kindness, but in ways that were unknown to me.
I had the privilege of attending a grieving group these last thirteen weeks. Now you might think, "Why would you chose to attend something like that." I know that I was sitting there on one of those chairs, only because God allowed me to be there. I know this because it was there that I learned some of my most valuable lessons.
We were told that its not safe to ask for the cross to be removed, because there will always be crosses to bear. We need to learn to ask for the help of God to bear the cross. That is when we can have pure happiness. That is when life's stings won't hurt so bad. It was the atmosphere of that room that made those words so meaningful. Sitting there with me were men and women who had experienced some of the worse crosses a human could be asked to bear. But their words and their trust in God did something to my heart that has never happened before. It gave me a feeling that I could trust God with everything. He has prepared everything I need to face tomorrow. He will take my hand and lead me where I need to go....if I just take hold of His.
It is the heart felt happiness. It is the happiness that fills the soul and reaches on and on and on. It is the pure happiness that comes to help you with the experiences that life throws at you. We can be happy. But I have learned through life's experiences, what really gives me true happiness. The other day my daughter gave me some words of wisdom. She said to me; "Mom you have to learn that you can't depend on someone else for happiness, you have to find it within yourself. Until then you will never know true happiness."
A year ago last November, I walked into a small nursing home room of a dear gray haired man that I called my second dad, and he called me his "daughter". I will never forget the fear I felt that crisp morning when my husband and I drove to that little home just on the outskirts of town. I had never been inside a place like that. But I had promised and I was going to keep that promise. As we parked and got out I never knew what awaited me just inside those glass doors. I never knew that I would be changed forever. I never knew that this was one of God's plans for helping me see the true beauty of living, the thing that would give me peace, that would help me through what was to be in my future.
In our hymn book we have a song that I love. A song that I didn't under until now. The chorus goes like this. "In love the Father ever veils the future, Hides from us tomorrows care; For well He knows todays own burdens are, enough for you and me to bear." I love these simple words. Now I know the wisdom of God when He chose to hide the future from my view. I now know the love in His heart as He gently prepared me for what could lay ahead.
I didn't realize that crisp fall morning, that God was taking my hand and leading me over the threshold into a brand new world. A world that He knew I may need in my unknown future. A world I would never chose for myself.
I now realize I am just a vessel in the hands of the God that made the universe and made me. He knows my future. He knows just what I need. He sees where I am not allowed to see. He knows what I'm not allowed to know. I know that if I can just trust, that He will give me what I need to find joy in all things.
There is another hymn that I have learned the true meaning of, and has become a real comfort to me. The chorus is: "I will leave it all to Jesus, For I know He understands, Things in life I cannot alter, I will leave in Jesus hands." He hasn't only hid the future from me, but He has given me a place to leave my cares. Things that I have no power over. Things that are to big for me to bear. He realizes I am just a child. I am just a human. I am to tiny to face the future alone.
He has led me places that I would never of went on my own. Places that I would never of chosen. I could not chose them, because I don't know my future. I don't know what I really need. I am just human. I am just a vessel. I am small and don't understand. I am weak and in need of someone much stronger than I. And God knows all these things. He knows and He cares, so He works with me in gentleness, through life's experiences. All I need to do is follow.
All I need to do is follow. Those use to be hard words for me. I didn't want to be the "vessel". I wanted to be God. That is why true peace was withheld from me. I had to learn my place. I had to accept my part in life. And God showed that to me in kindness, but in ways that were unknown to me.
I had the privilege of attending a grieving group these last thirteen weeks. Now you might think, "Why would you chose to attend something like that." I know that I was sitting there on one of those chairs, only because God allowed me to be there. I know this because it was there that I learned some of my most valuable lessons.
We were told that its not safe to ask for the cross to be removed, because there will always be crosses to bear. We need to learn to ask for the help of God to bear the cross. That is when we can have pure happiness. That is when life's stings won't hurt so bad. It was the atmosphere of that room that made those words so meaningful. Sitting there with me were men and women who had experienced some of the worse crosses a human could be asked to bear. But their words and their trust in God did something to my heart that has never happened before. It gave me a feeling that I could trust God with everything. He has prepared everything I need to face tomorrow. He will take my hand and lead me where I need to go....if I just take hold of His.
Amen dear cousin, I love you <3
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