WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES,WE MUST REMEMBER THAT OUR FUTURE IS IN GOD'S HANDS.
by JSL
Bible Passage: John 10:10-16
“I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Real Life:
There are just so many things about life I am grateful for, and one of them is my having a “sweet” relationship with my high-school girlfriends.
I have this group which we named, IE CLIQUE. I do not remember how we came up with that name. We are a group of six beautiful, out-of-this-world women! I was always the one that made the group laugh, I recall. One of us took the role of “mother”. She was the type that lectured us whenever we did mischievous things while the other was the phlegmatic: walked slow, ate slow, and decided slow. But one thing that kept our friendship strong all these years is not just the love that we have for each other, but the fact that we're so different, we click. Ah, we have countless arguments and disagreements but that is part of it all. We forgive and forget, that’s the rule. After highschool, we went our own separate ways for college, then we all graduated with a bachelors degree, some got married, others can’t leave their little girl’s body. Yes, we met up once in a blue moon, but we were never complete. And when we are together, we rejoiced with each other’s successes and we cried at each other’s sad stories.
There are just so many things about life I am grateful for, and one of them is my having a “sweet” relationship with my high-school girlfriends.
I have this group which we named, IE CLIQUE. I do not remember how we came up with that name. We are a group of six beautiful, out-of-this-world women! I was always the one that made the group laugh, I recall. One of us took the role of “mother”. She was the type that lectured us whenever we did mischievous things while the other was the phlegmatic: walked slow, ate slow, and decided slow. But one thing that kept our friendship strong all these years is not just the love that we have for each other, but the fact that we're so different, we click. Ah, we have countless arguments and disagreements but that is part of it all. We forgive and forget, that’s the rule. After highschool, we went our own separate ways for college, then we all graduated with a bachelors degree, some got married, others can’t leave their little girl’s body. Yes, we met up once in a blue moon, but we were never complete. And when we are together, we rejoiced with each other’s successes and we cried at each other’s sad stories.
It is not until lately that we have started communicating seriously again. One of the most significant events that happened in this group, I believe is the good tidings from one of us. “AA” (lets just call her by that name) migrated to the USA as a nurse last year. But before that, she led a hard life, had a troubled marriage, and had undergone difficulties but God saw her through. Here’s an excerpt of her letter to me (with her permission, names are withheld for privacy):
“…The struggles and difficulties that I encountered in the USA since I first came proved to have their purposes after all. I failed my NCLEX twice...had to moved to Minnesota with my brother ‘coz I've gone over my agency's 3-month housing allowance and I can't work unless I pass the nclex exams (unlike other agencies wherein you can work as an LPN before nclex). My son and my husband had to fly over fast from the Philippines or their visas will expire. In other words, we all have to stay at my brother’s. It was difficult to live with another family… you know how it is. Conflicts surfaced along the way. It was a very hard time for us all.
I had to find work so we could get our own place. I set aside nclex for a while thinking that it was getting in the way. I thought I needed to move on without it. I have been paralyzed for long just because I had to prepare for it. It has given me a lot of pressure. No matter how prepared I am, I won't be able to make it to the test still.
I worked in the mall...in an optical shop, a global optical shop. I loved my job as an optician and sales consultant. I got to talk to a lot of people so it helped me a little bit as to how to deal with american people. My husband worked in a nursing home....as what??? As a CHEF! Well, at first he started as a server and they found out he can cook too so he got promoted. Then, we moved to our own place.
I don't know. I guess the blessings began to flow that time on. All that we have gone through….. We had to go through awful, bitter fights. We did our best to resolve them by opening the past hurts and put closure to them. I kept thinking...had I passed my test the first time and made good income-wise, we could have continued living the good life and totally shove everything that happened in the past. Past hurts would have never been resolved and dealt with.
Yup, love can happen again. In fact, it's much easier now to love again. I tell you, love is here again 'coz all that ugly part of my life no longer exists.
I went to the testing center one day in one of my work-offs without even having to tell anyone that I scheduled myself in for the nclex test, my third take. I took it and result came out good after 3 days. This was unexpected!
We all know that when things are down, there’s no other way but up, right? Then the blessings came after another. These are all His plans and purposes for me. I know He really loves me. He got me a job here, in Dialysis, just nearby and I like it a lot. My son is doing good in school and making friends too. We live in one of the most livable cities in the US.....a very conservative place...it's within the bible belt....”
I had to find work so we could get our own place. I set aside nclex for a while thinking that it was getting in the way. I thought I needed to move on without it. I have been paralyzed for long just because I had to prepare for it. It has given me a lot of pressure. No matter how prepared I am, I won't be able to make it to the test still.
I worked in the mall...in an optical shop, a global optical shop. I loved my job as an optician and sales consultant. I got to talk to a lot of people so it helped me a little bit as to how to deal with american people. My husband worked in a nursing home....as what??? As a CHEF! Well, at first he started as a server and they found out he can cook too so he got promoted. Then, we moved to our own place.
I don't know. I guess the blessings began to flow that time on. All that we have gone through….. We had to go through awful, bitter fights. We did our best to resolve them by opening the past hurts and put closure to them. I kept thinking...had I passed my test the first time and made good income-wise, we could have continued living the good life and totally shove everything that happened in the past. Past hurts would have never been resolved and dealt with.
Yup, love can happen again. In fact, it's much easier now to love again. I tell you, love is here again 'coz all that ugly part of my life no longer exists.
I went to the testing center one day in one of my work-offs without even having to tell anyone that I scheduled myself in for the nclex test, my third take. I took it and result came out good after 3 days. This was unexpected!
We all know that when things are down, there’s no other way but up, right? Then the blessings came after another. These are all His plans and purposes for me. I know He really loves me. He got me a job here, in Dialysis, just nearby and I like it a lot. My son is doing good in school and making friends too. We live in one of the most livable cities in the US.....a very conservative place...it's within the bible belt....”
The last part of her letter says she is pregnant at 40! They have been trying for more than 10 years now. Isn’t that a double portion of blessing? God works in miraculous ways!
What a story. We all have our own stories to tell. But one thing I know, God knows best. He is doing and leading us a life of success and happiness. You may not see it now but as long as we continue to believe and trust in Him, dreams will come true, according to His infinite plans for our lives.
To Ponder upon:
Do things look bleak in your life right now? Are you flooded with insecurity about the future? Just as God had a plan for His people thousands of years ago, He has a plan for you – a good, pleasing, and perfect plan. And He is trustworthy to make that plan happen in His perfect time.
Do things look bleak in your life right now? Are you flooded with insecurity about the future? Just as God had a plan for His people thousands of years ago, He has a plan for you – a good, pleasing, and perfect plan. And He is trustworthy to make that plan happen in His perfect time.
Action step:
In a journal or a blank sheet of paper, write a list of nine things you would love to be part of your future. Number each of them and then write down the number “10.” Next to that, write, “Whatever God wants for me.” Commit this list to God and put it in a safe place for future reference.
Prayer:
I do not know what is next in my life, but God, I trust in Your love and Your promises, and believe in my heart that a bright future awaits me. Amen.
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