Congratulations to, Michele Walston! Michele, you are Friday’s winner of a free copy of The 30 Day Praise Challenge and a $10.00 I-tunes gift card. Please email me your mailing address and I’ll get your book and gift card in the mail!~
Recently, I read Finding Roses in the Dust by Erin Brynn. I highly recommend it! The book recounts the year that Erin spent with her husband and two children living in the war torn country of Afghanistan. Erin writes with raw honesty about the changes God works in her life to bring beauty even in the desert. The book reminded me of the verse in Isaiah 51:3b which says, “Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there, Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. ”
God has a way of bringing beauty to even the most difficult places of our lives. I watched Him do this in my own life as I took the praise challenge. Living through cancer, dealing with the un-resolved issues of the sexual abuse I experienced as a child, walking through some very stressful events in the life of my husband and his ministry, many days were filled with pain. But, as I learned to experience God’s presence in my times of praise, He brought beauty even in my wilderness.
How about you? How have you experienced beauty during times of suffering in your life? Leave a comment. I’m giving away a Paul Baloche CD today and copy of The 30 Day Praise Challenge.
6 Responses
Laura McClave
I have seen God turn something ugly to beautiful. He has changed hearts and soften lives. Yes I have seen beauty in midst of suffering, and only God can do that.
Karen Sherrill
God has done this over and over in my life. Whether it was the gift of my family giving me a hug or word of encouragement at the right time. Or looking up (from focusing on my struggles) and around at the beauty God has surrounded me with and others He allowed in my life.
Regina Collier
God turned my ugly separation and divorce into something beautiful. After separating from my husband, I grew closer to my children, my family, and my church family. But most of all, my relationship with the Lord grew. I learned to depend on Him for all my needs. I learned to keep my focus on Him and not on the world.
Susan Padgett
June 2012 through December 2012 were the most difficult 6 months of my life so far. Between home hospice and the death of my father-in-law and the unexpected death of one of my brothers, God brought my husband and I closer together and it was amazing how often I heard the right words or song that helped to bring peace.
Gloria Willer
Wow! We finished a study in 1 Samuel Sunday in our fellowship class. A verse jumped off the page for me as I read 1 Samuel 30 . . . verse 6. David was very distressed; he had been on the run from Saul and so much more in his life, “but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” and now your blog!! What an encouragement to fix my eyes on Jesus in the midst of the very difficult moments! Thank you!
Erica Corbett
I have been going through a lot lately through battling a Chronic illness that has left me needing to go into assisted living and I could easily drown in depression and anger because I am young but God has brought beautiful and caring friends in my life who have come and helped me in a variety of ways! Also just to have the spirit of the Living God whisper love an encouragement in my ears has been amazing! Plus I stick to the fact that He promises to make beauty out of my ashes! I may not see what he sees but I know he won’t leave me!