Do you ever read between the lines? Be it a book, a situation, or a conversation, I like to find the deeper meaning.
This is especially true when I’m looking for the good in something. Be it a situation that isn’t my favorite or something where I just feel out of place but I know I need to show up, I like to read between the lines so to speak to find the good and positive.
Life is so much what you make of it and I want to do it exceptionally well! And more than that, I want to encourage others to see how remarkable God is and inspire them to give Him their best!
Thanksgiving
I think that is one thing I love so much about Thanksgiving – it reminds us to count our blessings and recall the many, many things for which we have to be grateful. From something as seemingly simple as a vehicle with heating to drive to and from work each day to something as special as a remarkable person coming into our lives, it is so good to thank God for His many blessings!
Considering our blessings has a two-fold benefit. On one hand it produces a grateful heart and encourages us, and on the other it allows us to praise God for His favor! His blessings never cease and our gratitude never should either!
As parents or even just as adults who know children, the grateful and enthusiastic children are extra special and such a blessing, aren’t they? In much the same way, we want to come before God with the same grateful heart!
The Bible says He works all things together for the good of His people, so we can know even when things are hard they are working together for our good! And perhaps especially when they are hard there is something special happening. Growth comes out of difficulties and we want to be constantly growing into the people that God has designed us to be.
Do the Hard Things
It’s kind of funny, I remember a few years back I made some serious changes in my life. I took purposeful strides to step up in some areas that I felt God was impressing on me. Do you know, that year stands out in my mind as being one of my hardest years, but also – and in all honesty – one of my most rewarding!
So much so, in fact, I found myself pondering what changes I needed to make this year to have another year of remarkable growth. And through small changes, remarkable favor, and some very challenging things, I would tell you this has been another phenomenal year in new ways that I hadn’t anticipated!
The moral of the story is don’t avoid hard things. Definitely be intelligent and don’t run out to make things difficult on yourself, but don’t avoid growing and becoming more of who you are especially designed to be! God has remarkable plans for you and if you will step out of your comfort zone He will take you further than you can imagine!
In His Time
But also in all this, we must remember that things come together in His time, not ours, so prepare to practice patience!
Perhaps this reminder is especially for myself seeing as Hope can also be translated as Wait. How appropriate for my impatient self!
But the lovely reminder from the Bible reassures me that He makes all things beautiful in its time. The answer, the conclusion, the promotion, the blessing will come in the perfect time – we just need to hope and wait and do the work He gives us in the meantime!
Read Between the Lines
In the hard things, in the waiting and hoping, this is where we should read between the lines and know that something better is on the horizon! We may not know what, but we can be assured that if we give Him our best that all things are working for our good!
He is a good, good Father and we should aspire to be the best we can be for Him!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2021/08/18/just-wait/