Word of the day

Yesterday was one of those days that you just want to run out of your job screaming "Never again!" while ripping your badge off and throwing it in an inferno of destruction. Anyone feel me on that? No one? It's okay, I am secure enough in my insanity to admit those feelings.
Anyway, this morning I am trying my best to have a major attitude adjustment; after all, it's not my 1st period's fault that a kid went off on my in 7th yesterday. I opened my Bible for a little Christian Roulette....what's it going to be today? With no real plan in mind, I opened up to Psalms. In the corner of the page, I had underlined Psalm 27:13-14. A few years ago, I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life. A guy who I barely knew referenced Psalm 27, saying that it had been his battlecry during his difficult moments. Honestly, even though I had highlighted and underlined it, I never really paid attention to the truth in this passage, but you better believe I am claiming it now:
"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."
I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know that God is with me, and that He has purpose and a plan for all of this mess. I am waiting, and will continue to do so, trusting that God is with me, that He loves me, and that He will not leave me. Ever.

God is good.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Trust

Funny how we make decisions based on the trust we have in the Lord, then immediately doubt. I long to be able to constantly trust God's hand in my life. To dispel the seeds of doubt the enemy so aptly plants in my mind. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Gain or Loss?

I was reading my Streams in the Desert devotional the other day when I read something about Paul's vision for his life that made me stop in my tracks and pull an immediate re-read. He was speaking about gain and loss. "To live is Christ, to die is gain." The author poses the question: "Why is it that most of what Paul considers gain, we consider loss?" And it is true. We pray that God would save us from health issues, from stress, from heartache, from conflict, from negative insert-word-into-blank-here. We don't want to be troubled (and I think that this is natural). But these are the very things that bring Paul joy: he considers them "gain." How do we change our way of thinking to match Paul's? I have no idea. But I do know that the past 2 months, my relationship with God is better than ever. Not because my life is easy and that I have a-z going on for me. But because I am relying on Him more each day. I am on my knees in my classroom begging Him to move. I am looking around me and realizing that, even in the dark times, I am so blessed beyond belief.
My charge for anyone that reads this is to reflect. What in your life right now are you counting as loss that is really bringing you closer to God? Do you trust Him to be enough?