And we know that
God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love
God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:28
This verse has been going over and over
in my mind the past few weeks. God has done amazing things for Steve
and me and we feel so blessed. We have experienced the truth of this
verse in our lives on multiple occasions and thank God for his love
and faithfulness. The following are just a few of the big ones!
Before our life together began, Steve
and I experienced other heartbreaking relationships. When God
brought us together, he gave us double blessings for our trouble.
Because of our former experiences, we vowed to never take each other
for granted and have always tried to treat one another with respect
and honesty. Having never really felt loved in my former
relationship, God blessed me with a man who makes me feel loved and
cherished. I know he always has my best interest, and that of our
family, at heart. God worked out our past pain for good when he
blessed us with each other.
Three years into our marriage, when our
son was 6 months old, we were in a terrible car accident on I-75. My
back was broken, one of Steve’s hands was broken, and his other was
cut up very badly. Thankfully our sweet Nathan was completely
unharmed. I had always dreamed of staying home with my children
while they were babies, but I had to work part-time to help pay some
bills from my past. I do not believe God caused the wreck; Jesus
tells us in John 10:10 that “the thief comes to kill, steal and
destroy…” What Satan meant for harm, God worked out for our good.
We were able to pay off those bills with the insurance money, and I
became a stay-at-home mom. After 3 months, my back had mended and we
got our lives back. Sixteen months after the accident, we added a
baby girl to our family.
Most recently, Steve and I felt the
need to change churches. To some this may not be a big deal, but to
us it was huge. Church has always been a very important part of our
lives. This decision did not come easily nor did it come without
tears, lots of prayer and careful consideration. Our church was
going through some trials and our hearts were burdened for it. We
were active in many different areas. Steve was a lifetime member,
and our children were 4th generation Shaws. It was there
that our children were dedicated to the Lord as babies and baptized
as new Christians, and we had friends whom we loved. For months we
struggled with the decision, but we resisted. We didn’t want to
hurt anyone or let anyone down. But the time came when we both knew
we had to let go. It was one of the hardest things we have ever had
to do.
God lead us to our current church. In
fact, looking back, it seems he was leading us there all along. We
loved it immediately! After visiting for about five months, Steve
was offered the position as church administrator. We felt honored
(and shocked). Since Steve had been at his job 23 years, it was
definitely a leap of faith. We prayed fervently for the answer in
whether he should take the position or not. We were riddled with
nervousness about making the right decision. Proverbs 3:5-6 kept
coming before me. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do
not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.” There was no doubt that
we wanted God’s will to be done. There is no greater peace than
being in the center of God’s will.
Over the next couple of weeks,
it became very evident this was God's plan. Excitement began to take
over. We were overwhelmed with gratitude and amazed at how God
worked this all out. We felt so blessed to be given this
opportunity to be part of what God was doing in and through this
church. Again, God worked things out for our good. He had a plan all
along; we just had to trust him.
So, whenever things arise that seem out
of your control or it seems like God isn’t working in your
circumstances, trust him. Romans 8:28 says God works things out for
those who love him and are called for his purpose. God has a plan
for you. (Ephesians 2:10, Jeremiah 29:11) Love Him. Trust Him. Seek
Him.
“’Cause you stay the
same through the ages
Your love never changes,
There may be pain in the
night
But joy comes in the
morning….
‘Cause you make all
things work together for my good….”
From “Your Love Never
Fails” - Jesus Culture