Each and every one of us has a purpose, even when we cannot see it. I know I struggle a lot with knowing my purpose because I look at the person I “should be”. I see myself as needing to already be in my dream career because I have a Masters degree and the desire to lead/ assist people in becoming the best they can be. I also see myself as someone who should have a drivers license, children, and no debt. But, because of my epilepsy I cannot drive until I am 6 months seizure free. I had no idea I had epilepsy until almost two years ago. The first few seizures I had I thought were just weird panic attacks or other occurrences. When I graduated from my undergrad and got engaged, I had this huge picture of living the best life I could live. I began my Masters degree and you all know from my other posts that my health began to decline during it. Diagnosis after diagnosis we finally figured out what was wrong a few months after I completed my Masters degree. I told myself I would give myself a few months to get it under control and then begin the pursuit of finding the dream job. Well, that didn’t go as planned. I did learn that my calling may actually be teaching rather than being a director over a company, which is cool. But, I can’t help but feel that my online teaching job is still not where I should be. I should be teaching in person, a college professor, something that shows I have some sort of worth… Anyway, as you can see it is easy for me to get caught up in my shortcomings, so caught up that I almost get in a rut of just getting through the day, forgetting that God is working on a much bigger picture than I can see.
If I focus too much on earthly matters, I may miss ways He is working in my life. For the start of 2020 I have been focusing on taking life one moment at a time and trying to get the most out of it. I want to continue living that way because I want to allow God to use me however he pleases, and because I am learning that he sometimes uses everyday encounters as something much more. The people I encounter while out eating, or shopping, may just be people who need someone to help them smile that day. Or perhaps they are going through something and need prayer. Or God could even use me as a way to show the love of Jesus to them. Having a fun conversation with someone might seem meaningless, but sometimes those conversations lead to friendships, and then to opportunities to be a huge blessing to someone. I want to be used anyway that God can use me. I enjoy being a part of the bigger picture, even if my section of it is just a few minor details.
I tend to think oh God won’t use me because I have epilepsy. Or God doesn’t have much purpose for my existence because I am not as accomplished as some of my peers. Heck I may never have kids because of my PCOS, yet another strike against society’s standards. Yet, that is not how God sees me. I am learning that the best way to counteract the negativity and to focus on what God has in store for me, is to focus on eternity. After all, what comes after this life is forever...yes FOREVER. And for the Christ believer, it will be perfection. Once all is said and done, God will recreate a new earth and restore all of its perfection, prior to the fall of man and sin. There will be joy as we praise God forever! We will all have special roles and there will be no more death and sorrow. I also believe my animals will be there because God has made them such a central part of my life, Mikki and Luke have both saved my life at different times. Also why would God make animals and say they were “good” just to destroy them and never look back. God is a good God and a loving God. When I think of living in harmony surrounded by perfect love, my beloved animals, and how no more sorrow or death will occur...it reminds me that anything I endure now is worth it. We all have to endure sorrow because of what happened when man brought sin into the world, but the sorrow won’t be forever.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:1-4 NIV
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. Psalms 37:29 NIV
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food.They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. Isaiah 65:25 NIV
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5 NIV
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:19-23 NIV <............... See this right here shows that our animals will be in Heaven because they have been subject to the curse of sin and they await the day that they no longer are burdened by it.
What we do on this earth now matters because it determines our fate. We can’t get to Heaven any other way but by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I hope if anyone hasn’t done that yet and is reading this, that you would consider it. You don’t need to change anything about yourself, come as you are. Just ask Jesus to come into your heart and to be your Lord and Savior. Admit that you are broken and need healed. He will honor that prayer and you will soon see him at work in your life in ways you never imagined. I can promise that. I have seen God at work. I have had my life spared more than once because of God. I have found my perfect spouse because of God. I am still alive because of God. I have my house we bought because of God. Every other lender said no because of student loans, but God gave us a realtor who fought for us and found us the lender that would say yes. Our house we have now was the perfect price we needed to be within. God kept my dogs, our home, and I safe from a fire the neighbors had the other day. Oh and he kept them all safe too and kept the fire contained to a small area. You see, I pray not just over my household but over the households of my neighbors too and God honored that. When Luke died, I thought how could i go on without my heart dog...but God gave me Mikki who is another heart dog of mine, and he gave me Petra and Mabel to bring me joy too. He is a good God. I don't think I can ever love another dog the way I love Mikki. The bond we have is unique, special, rare. When I think of my blessings and eternity, it helps remind me that everything is going to be okay. For the believer the end is good. God wishes for none of us to perish in hell and I wish the same. I want each and every one of you reading this to be in Heaven one day with me too and I hope and pray that it will be so.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 NIV
If you enjoyed this post, check out my blog on how each of my animals have blessed me :) and my blog post about why I believe what I believe. <3
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| My girl dogs being silly at my parents' house. They got all tangled in their leashes lol |
https://traveldogloverangel.blogspot.com/2018/10/too-blessed-to-not-believe.html
