This past Sunday my favorite football team (since I was born), The San Fransisco Forty Niners lost to the New York Giants, ending their season one game shy of the Superbowl. I must admit I was heartbroken. I think I even cried. It was a close game and they lost by only three points in overtime. The game ended when the Giants' kicker, made a game winning field goal. Before he kicked the ball the camera panned the Giants' sidelines. I think just about every player looked up to heaven and prayed for it to go in. They panned the Niner's sidelines and they too were praying, except they were hoping for a different result. The ball went in, the Giants went crazy and the Niners' sidelines weren't so happy. It was a good day for the Giants, a bad day for the Niners. What kind of day is it for you?
Good Day.
After the game I thought about this for a while. Both teams prayed/believed/hoped for the outcome to result in their favor. (I am not presuming that all these players are Christians and were praying to God) They were hoping/praying/believing for a certain ending and only one team went home happy. I thought about how sometimes my best day is someone else's worst day. As I rang in my 28th birthday at midnight watching an episode of Revenge (great show by the way) I saw that one of my family members' friends had just passed away. I was celebrating another year of life and someone else was mourning a death. Same God, same day, different feeling.
Bad Day.
I am sure none of the Niner teammates blamed God for the outcome of the game. (They had plenty of other reasons and players to pin the loss on) But I began to think about how many times I have felt "let down" by God. As I woke up this morning I felt like I should encourage you, whoever you are today who feels like God has let you down. Whether your marriage ended and you feel like God should have changed the outcome, or if you lost a loved one too soon and you feel angry towards God for allowing it to happen, or if you lost a job and you haven't been able to find another job ever since, or if you lost a pregnancy and you are confused as to why this had to happen to you. I don't know who you are or what you are facing or have faced, but I want to encourage you and remind you that God has not let you down. He loves you, remembers you and is here for you!
Which Day For You?
There have been many moments, situations and even season of my life where things seem to not work out in my favor. Times when I felt like God was so far away, but as I look back time and time again I see that He was always there. We live in a world where tragedy faces us everyday, but there is a God who is greater than any circumstance. He doesn't bring us tragedy but He does allow us to go through it. God has not let you down, He has been setting you up! With every heartache, let down, or tough time, God has a hidden agenda to make you stronger, wiser, and ultimately make you and I more dependent on Him. I am not sure if you are having a bad day or a bad season but I want to remind you that God is for you and that He loves you.
Sometimes it seems as though God doesn't answer our prayers. Sometimes it seems like He is so distant. But God is always there and He always answers our prayers, it is just not always the way we hope He would.
Are you having a good day? Are you having a bad day? Which day for you? Would love to hear back from you. Please comment in the box provided below and enter in to win a STARBUCKS gift card. My prayer is that if you are facing a tough time, that you have been reminded that you are not forgotten, that God has not let you down and that He is For YOU!
TRUTH: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified
because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
DARE: Spend just a few moments in God's word today and be reminded of all His promises to you.
Wow great Blog!!.. I Believe God answered both teams prayers... those feelings of winning and losing in my opinion is of the flesh, we want what we want when we want it, God gives us the knowledge , the will , and the grace to deal with the good and the bad, and that Is what I thank God for ... I also believe that if God has a Favorite team it would have to be The DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!....: )- Vinnie
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feed back! Haha!!! You didn't even have to put your name for me to know who this was. :)
DeleteWow. *sigh* I had a hard time getting through this one. There's been so many times I've felt like God has turned away from me and I get all caught up in my self pity....only to look back and see that it was ME that turned away from HIM. He was always there. He IS always there. Today is a good day. I'm in a good season and prayerful that it will remain. I've found who I am in Christ this past couple of years and it's grown me leaps and bounds...for the first time in my life as a Christian I really DO care that I do not slip back but keep going forward.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! I get so excited when I see on facebook that you have published a new writing. I am always so deeply touched by what you share! THANK YOU!
Jennifer! I admire your openness & thank you for taking me up on this DARE to remember that HE IS FOR YOU! It's a journey that we are all on. You are not alone my friend :) Love you.
DeleteThis is your best post yet! I was pretty much weeping by the time I got done reading. The past couple of weeks have been really hard for me. I have felt as though I am in a funk and can't get out. I have gotten so discouraged with this whole pregnacy thing and as much as I try not to think about it after 7 months of trying sometimes it just hard not to think about it. Two girls that work for me are pregnant and a friend of mine who started trying about the same time we did just found out that she is pregnant as well. People all around me are having babies and honestly I started getting mad at God. I started asking why do they get to have one but we have been trying month after month and we get nothing. This has also been Billy's slowest times of the year and while I have been working so hard to get a good control over our finances its really hard to do when there is less money coming in than needs to go out. All this stuff has just put me in the worst funk and I have noticed myself being distant from not only God but everyone around me. I have been in such a funk that my bday is next week and I haven't really been excited about it. Sunday at church the Pastor told us that when you think you have hit your lowest point possible thats when your greatest blessing is about to come. Hearing the Pastor say that slowly started to soften my heart and this was just the icing. I know that God has a reason for why we go through these periods in our life. I am just not very good at waiting patiently to find out why. I know I need to trust God and believe that things will happen just in Gods time not mine. Thank you for being the awesome friend that you are and once again encouraging me with your words. : )
ReplyDeleteMissy, I understand when you say "stuck in a rut." God is always using situations to draw us near to Him. He desires to be close to us and for us to know that all things are found in Him. He is FOR YOU!!! Listen to the song, "You Are For Me" by Kari Jobe. It will bless you! Love you so much, thankful for you and standing with you believing that your best days are ahead of you.
DeleteWow did I need to read this today SarahJo, tomorrow marks the 2nd birthday I will not have my girlfriend Donna to call and wish HER a happy b=day but I know she is rejoying in heaven with our Lord and Savior and many other saints, but I still miss her so and long to have those long talks or our long shopping trips together. Thanks for helping today with what God laid on your heart to share. Love in Christ, Teresa Humphreys (Liberty NC)
ReplyDeleteTeresa! I am so glad that this was what you needed to hear. Even if this BLOG was just for you, it was worth writing. I am so sorry about your loss. I know that God will comfort you and continue to remind you that He is your Healer and your comforter!
DeleteREAl TALK ...REAL GOD
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! Thanks for reminding us to be joyful in all things, for God has promised he would never leave us nor forsake us.
ReplyDeleteHe is always for us!!!!
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