Last month I made a decision to stop pursuing a Christian literary agent for my screenwriting projects. Besides the Christian market isn’t my target audience for the films (Matthew 28:19-20). Breaking into the writing business can be pretty hard. There are so many people trying to pursue a professional writing career, it is hard to set yourself apart.
Life is hard. Storms will come in life to challenge you, not tear you apart. February was affected by a crazy weather pattern with ferocious wind storms. The news was flooded with stories of people coping with the unpredictable weather.
March will probably be worse; it is the bridge between winter and spring. As hours of daylight increase, ground temperature increases and when the warm air rises it pushes against the cold air forcing more cold air down from the atmosphere in the form of strong winds.
These winds serve as an important purpose in nature as they allow the seasons to change. They also help to remove any leftover leaves holding on to trees. This will provide more material for birds as they begin their nest building season.
I am amazed by how much goes on in nature year-round when most people don’t think anything’s happening in winter. It’s one of the things I like about biking all year; I get to see all the intimate little quiet moments in nature most people miss. True joy is being content regardless of our circumstances.
One of my goals for this year was to spend more time biking. To be honest, I don’t care much for the cold and wet rainy days or when the crazy winds try to push me the other way. But I know in the end all of the challenges will make me stronger, as I’m tested mentally and physically. The tests give me an adrenaline rush, not fear.
TESTED?
The dictionary gives an interesting definition of a test, “A procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use.” Or “A movable hearth in a reverberating furnace, used for separating gold or silver from lead.”
The second definition is particularly interesting for me as a Christian. Throughout the Bible, there’s an analogy of God using trials like refining gold (Malachi 3:3). If the refiner doesn’t test the gold by increasing the heat, it won’t be purified.
I apply this analogy to working out, if I don’t push myself in the gym my muscles won’t grow. Unless I test them and that causes a temporary pain. Regular exercise helps to prepare our bodies for the stresses of life. There is a difference between getting in shape and a healthy lifestyle, even if we don’t want to hear it.
And that leads me to the first definition of testing. Recently I found myself sitting in the silence in the middle of the day after praying to God for direction in my life.
After a few days after hearing nothing, I began to doubt everything: myself, God and my faith. So I prayed again and immediately remembered an old lesson I learned, a teacher never speaks during a test and they only give a test after the students have listened to the information that’s been taught.
I remembered the definition of faith. When we don’t see God working, feel a connection or hear Him—that doesn’t mean He’s not there, that’s where faith comes into play; we must trust His reckless love for us.
We have faith God is with us and He has faith we’re ready for the test. Our faith grows stronger when God is being silent. Our faith muscle is being tested.
One of the things I learned after my accident is that the brain will grow more brain cells the quieter it is. If you think you feel better in the peace and quiet, it is because your brain is rested and able to grow, not necessarily in size but in health.
This is why it is necessary for us to get sleep at night, our brains recover from the stresses of the day, and likewise, it is when our muscles recover from the physical tests of the day.
GROW UP?
Growing up isn’t always easy or fun, some call them growing pains, but I call a life. We all go through awkward seasons as we transition from adolescence to teens and then adulthood. Our bodies are changing, our personalities are developing and our hormones are raging.
Everything that happened when we’re young prepares us for life ahead. God’s motto is to use trials for our good later in life. This happened with King David as a boy when he had to fight bears and lions (1 Samuel 17:17 –37). I have learned that when the devil wants to try me, it’s on because God is still on the throne and He’s unstoppable.
As we begin the month of March I am reminded of the most difficult season of my life when I faced the hardest test to date. This month marks 22 years since I had my accident. I remember waking up after spending a week in La la land and everyone thought I was going to die and thinking God I’m listening and I’m not letting go. That’s when I made my covenant with Him; because I knew in my heart I was being tested.
Life is hard. Storms will come in life to challenge you, not tear you apart. February was affected by a crazy weather pattern with ferocious wind storms. The news was flooded with stories of people coping with the unpredictable weather.
March will probably be worse; it is the bridge between winter and spring. As hours of daylight increase, ground temperature increases and when the warm air rises it pushes against the cold air forcing more cold air down from the atmosphere in the form of strong winds.
These winds serve as an important purpose in nature as they allow the seasons to change. They also help to remove any leftover leaves holding on to trees. This will provide more material for birds as they begin their nest building season.
I am amazed by how much goes on in nature year-round when most people don’t think anything’s happening in winter. It’s one of the things I like about biking all year; I get to see all the intimate little quiet moments in nature most people miss. True joy is being content regardless of our circumstances.
One of my goals for this year was to spend more time biking. To be honest, I don’t care much for the cold and wet rainy days or when the crazy winds try to push me the other way. But I know in the end all of the challenges will make me stronger, as I’m tested mentally and physically. The tests give me an adrenaline rush, not fear.
TESTED?
The dictionary gives an interesting definition of a test, “A procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use.” Or “A movable hearth in a reverberating furnace, used for separating gold or silver from lead.”
The second definition is particularly interesting for me as a Christian. Throughout the Bible, there’s an analogy of God using trials like refining gold (Malachi 3:3). If the refiner doesn’t test the gold by increasing the heat, it won’t be purified.
I apply this analogy to working out, if I don’t push myself in the gym my muscles won’t grow. Unless I test them and that causes a temporary pain. Regular exercise helps to prepare our bodies for the stresses of life. There is a difference between getting in shape and a healthy lifestyle, even if we don’t want to hear it.
And that leads me to the first definition of testing. Recently I found myself sitting in the silence in the middle of the day after praying to God for direction in my life.
After a few days after hearing nothing, I began to doubt everything: myself, God and my faith. So I prayed again and immediately remembered an old lesson I learned, a teacher never speaks during a test and they only give a test after the students have listened to the information that’s been taught.
I remembered the definition of faith. When we don’t see God working, feel a connection or hear Him—that doesn’t mean He’s not there, that’s where faith comes into play; we must trust His reckless love for us.
We have faith God is with us and He has faith we’re ready for the test. Our faith grows stronger when God is being silent. Our faith muscle is being tested.
One of the things I learned after my accident is that the brain will grow more brain cells the quieter it is. If you think you feel better in the peace and quiet, it is because your brain is rested and able to grow, not necessarily in size but in health.
This is why it is necessary for us to get sleep at night, our brains recover from the stresses of the day, and likewise, it is when our muscles recover from the physical tests of the day.
GROW UP?
Growing up isn’t always easy or fun, some call them growing pains, but I call a life. We all go through awkward seasons as we transition from adolescence to teens and then adulthood. Our bodies are changing, our personalities are developing and our hormones are raging.
Everything that happened when we’re young prepares us for life ahead. God’s motto is to use trials for our good later in life. This happened with King David as a boy when he had to fight bears and lions (1 Samuel 17:17 –37). I have learned that when the devil wants to try me, it’s on because God is still on the throne and He’s unstoppable.
As we begin the month of March I am reminded of the most difficult season of my life when I faced the hardest test to date. This month marks 22 years since I had my accident. I remember waking up after spending a week in La la land and everyone thought I was going to die and thinking God I’m listening and I’m not letting go. That’s when I made my covenant with Him; because I knew in my heart I was being tested.
What a great lesson... "a teacher never speaks during a test and they only give a test after the students have listened to the information that’s been taught." We all know how difficult it can be when God is silent, but this idea puts a completely different spin on it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love your point about nature above! I'm sortof partial to that, since that's the theme of my blog - and I like to be an observer of nature year-round! God does some pretty awesome things with nature, doesn't He?
ReplyDelete