She does understand a lot of what we are talking about, much like a normal seven year old.
She is a happy kid too, making us smile with her witty expressions.
She is also determined, and that makes us determined.
My only hope for her, the only thing I can expect for her that is good is that she will live with God forever in heaven.
That is a far better result than a person who grows up healthy and happy,
yet never gains eternal life.
If it means my focus is clearer because of her problem,
then God gave me more than just the gift of her life,
He gave me the gift of helping others reach eternal life,
That could include all my daughters even 平安.
You see, all these ‘traps’ of our lives are situations that we are born in or placed in that were out of our control.
But I want you to remember this fact.
If it is a situation that is out of your control, then it is certainly under God’s control.
I think as Christians we seldom doubt that.
We shouldn’t.
But as humans we need reminding. We need reminding of two facts about God:
1) that God knows what He is doing and
2) God is trustworthy
It is not a trap. Instead, it is a liberation!
If we see it in the right way.
If we resist what God is showing us, if we ignore what we can learn from the situation we are placed in, then we will be sadness and not joy and peace that comes from God.
That is why it is called the “peace that is beyond understanding”.
Not only that, but others will not benefit from our lessons.
Because the lesson is not just for us, it’s for others too.
We don’t know what we can handle until we go through something.
For those of you who have not been to my house, we have the kid’s bedroom in the back.
My wife and I sleep in the front bedroom.
There is a long walk between the two – about 30 feet.
That is long for a little child in the middle of the night.
We don’t have a night light anywhere in between the two bedrooms.
When my youngest, 溫順, was about three she woke me up.
All I remembered was this dark little silhouette standing in the doorway of our bedroom.
She said, “Daddy?”
“What is it?” I replied.
“Daddy . . . I’m afraid of the dark.”
She had just walked that long walk completely in the dark all by herself . . .
. . . just to tell me she was afraid of the dark.
She had the ability to cope with her fears . . . if she just stopped to realize it.
But sometimes we don’t realize these things about our self
until God allows some adversity to hit us.
We are placed in a difficult situation.
We don’t want to be there.
Let’s say it is our job situation.
We have a troublesome relationship with the boss or a co-worker, or the work has too much pressure.
God places us in worldly situations all the time.
We have to go to work.
We need to go to school.
In fact, this is part of God's plan.
We cannot be a light on a hill, if we are a light where there is no need for light.
If we are simply a light when we are in fellowship with other Christians then what little good does that do? That is like having a light on in a room of the house that already has many lights.
That is nothing but a waste of resources!
Influence is very powerful.
We are influenced by the world, but that doesn't mean we should get out of the world.
Jesus made that distinction.
But our influence as Christian lights can be powerful also.
On the other hand, the light can be spread too.
What better place for light to shine that in darkness.
Isn’t that why God does not take us out of the world?
Isn’t that the reason why we spend more time of our life interacting with the lost sinners than the righteous?
How will I convert some of these co-workers?
I know.
I'll invite them to my church services.
That’s probably not the best solution.
Why? because it is your comfort zone.
It is the place you want to be.
It is not the place they want to be.
Their comfort zone is on a couch watching TV.
That won't change them and chances are they will come just to be nice and then not come anymore.
But, if you are a light to them at the work place they will see that and want to come to the light. Then they will eventually want to join a local church.
Influence is so important.
They should see the ‘church’ in you, before they see the church you meet with.
Why Me?
Why God do you love me so much? is a better question.
Remember the Psalms 22. we read earlier?
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
Matthew 27 –
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Jesus was repeating scripture to them.
In his last breaths, he quoted scripture.
He was teaching even as he was dying.
So let’s continue reading Psalms 22 and see what is the message Jesus was trying to tell us.
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced[c] My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
Why did God love the world so much that He gave His only son to die for it?
This is the most important why to understand.
Do you know why?
Because it supplies the answer to all of our other kinds of whys.
Because of this adversity he faced, He is an effective high priest to us because he has been through it also.
So, we can turn to this high priest for comfort.
God so loved the world – He went through adversity for us and because of it,
all our adversity doesn’t need to worry us.
The reason why, the answer to the question “Why me?” has been answered.
Adversity, even situations created by your own sin can be turned by God into goodness.
I hope you can now see God’s goodness even in the hardest of times.
發表於 
it\'s very encouraging. Thank you!
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