Growing Into Your Life

It's fun to watch puppies, especially the large breeds.  Their paws are huge and the pups often trip right over them.  Often when they are at the kennel for more than a few days, I will go out in the morning and notice they are bigger.  When the owner returns, they notice immediately that their little darling is growing up.

When we view our lives as gifts from God, with the burdens and blessings that includes, we can walk calmly at the pace God wants.  But do we?  I mean, don't WE want to dash forward, tripping over ourselves with our own plans?  Don't we want to use our OWN gifts the way WE want to?

Is it possible that life is not .....gasp....about US?

Is it possible that the tough circumstances and burdens we face may be for the benefit of others, not ourselves?  Is God glorified according to HIS purposes even when we suffer greatly?  Can we honestly say "yes" to that?

If you are out walking your dog and a car comes hurling at you, I bet you would rather take the hit over your dog.  And if you have children, you would rather suffer FOR your child rather than your child experiencing pain.  This is what Jesus did for us.  How can we not be grateful?  How can we not...someday...be able to say you'd do the same for someone else?  Someone maybe you haven't met.  Maybe even someone you don't like - even an enemy.

But how can we do it?  Even if we wanted to, wouldn't we be seen as crazy to others?  Experience suffering for no reason or endure our personal hardship for the sake of someone else's walk with God?  Only through God's grace and strength can we do this.  Only God can infuse our souls with His love to care enough to endure.  Only through God's strength can we finish the walk he's given us.  And we don't get answer to "why" each time either.

That's God's radical plan right there.  Those are some big paws to grow into.  But you can do it, one step at a time.