Molding Can Hurt

Friendly Obstacles
Anonymous

For every hill I've tried to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat, and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat,
My heart sings but a grateful song
These are the things that made me strong!

For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!

'Tis not the softer things in life
Which stimulate man's will to strive;
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep man's will alive.
O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep.


For about two weeks now my daughter has studied these words. Words that I've heard her recite....words that I've checked to make sure she was reciting correctly....but also words that I've not really heard until today.

As my eldest recited them to me this morning, I sat with paper in hand and really read them....listened as she recited each line.

How powerful!

These last 14 days I've let life keep me so preoccupied that I've missed out on these powerful words.

What a blessing they are...what a message they deliever.

The author is unknown, and I wonder did this author serve my God? I like to think he/she did.

These words remind me of a few things.....

Of the old hymn...Have Thine Own Way...."mold me and make me..."

Of the parable of the potter and the clay (Jeremiah 18) Jeremiah watched the potter with the soft clay as it became misshapen....the potter pressed and molded it and shaped it back into a good vessel....so God does with us.

Life gets hard sometimes.

It can really just plain stink.

But through gratitude we can find our way past the here and now...past the pain of the moment....and see the bigger picture.

We can see what God is molding us into...what He is preparing us for.

Something greater than now.

Thank You Father for the things unseen....for the yet to come.

Ephesians 5:20

Have a blessed day,
Count it all joy (James 1:2-4),
And tell someone you love them,
Because Jesus first loved you,

Tracey
<><

Praying for Sara, her family and  her friends...
Praying that Kaylee did well on her poem recitation...
Praying that God gives peace to a few dear friends that need to feel His touch today.

Thankful....
133. for finding Sara
134. for meeting with God
135. for the happiness of a friend
136. for safe travel
137. for a new wood stove
138. for guidance
139. for wedding shower plans
140. for punch and cake :) {I love shower food}
141. for new friends and old
142. for progress
143. for laughter...and by laughter I mean I'm thankful for those little things that just get you tickled for no reason and you laugh so hard your face hurts...and when your done laughing you feel refreshed...laughter really is such good medicine. Come on let's all LOL!!!
144. for my sweet middle, Kelsie, who gave me one of those "laugh for no reason" moments this morning. It was just what I needed.

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