Beautiful Words

So, I got a FB message from my awesome mom this morning. There are some sad things happening in our family currently, but the advice that was given to her, which in turn she gave me, was absolutely beautiful. I think this is something so incredibly beautiful. Mom said,

"In the midst of the conversation, she (my Aunt Winnie) told me something that Aunt Sherri had said in October 2006...she said that she would go thru having the cancer again because of the way that it brought her so close to God. She gave everything--all control of every part of her life--to Jesus."

Isn't that beautiful? It has caused me to think about things this morning.

1. I prayed, and I thanked Aunt Sherri for her words. I thanked God because even though Aunt Sherri is gone, she is still sharing such wonderful, beautiful words of wisdom. That was so powerful to me, that after all these years, her words are still used as encouragement.

2. I have thought previously that I need to take advantage of this deployment. I need to take this time to get so incredibly close to God. I need to take this time to pray for our marriage, that it may be a blessing from God and those who we encounter in our lives. I am here, I am in in Afghanistan and its not going to change. So, I need to make the most of it. Things that I have always wanted to improve is my relationship with my God, my relationship with my husband, my family members and to get more fit ;)

3. I do not need cancer to draw me closer to God, my precious Aunt has made already gone through that and I should live for her words. I am deployed, and it is hard, but it is not life ending. It will be life changing because I will make those attempts to change it. I will not allow this hardship to dig me deeper into the pits of sin, but dig me deeper into the Love of God.

So, what would you change or work on if you had cancer? You don't need cancer, you don't need a deployment, you don't need a death in the family or ANYTHING terrible to happen to you to make you realize. You just need YOU to realize it, and then you need to carry that to God and lay it at His feet.

Father God, I come to you this afternoon to ask Your wisdom. God, guide me in Your path so that I may know HOW to be drawn closer to You. Guide me to Your scriptures that you have so graciously provided me so that I may find strength and wisdom in Your words. Guide me throughout my day; guide my actions, my thoughts, my words and my spirit Father. I want to know HOW to give my all to you. It is so hard to let go of some things, and You know this God. Please guard my marriage with the greatest blessing you have ever given me, my amazing husband. Guard, protect and improve my relationships with my mom, pops, momma Rita, dad, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncle, cousins and others that I may be struggling to forgive. Once again, YOU know best. And You have put these people in my life for a reason and it is not my place to say that our relationship will not work, they must for You put them there. In all things I do God, I desire to give them to You, and to You alone. I pray that I come out of this deployment stronger in You, and I know that that strength will spill over into every other aspect of my life. Just show me how God, please. In your precious name, Amen.