It May Be Cold Outside...

It's winter time, and even here in Texas that fact has not been missed.  It has been cold, with temperatures dipping unusually below freezing in the overnights.  It all actually started with, get this, a white Christmas!  Although this may not sound like much for people in other parts of the country, this is Texas, a hot state where the cold and especially snow are hardly ever seen.  But one thought gives me constant relief, constant warmth literally and figuratively through the cold times and storms of life, and that is that I have a God that provides for me and shelters me.  He provides peace, protection and provision. He created me, saved me and sustains me.  He's a keeper, yes He is!
It may be cold outside, but I'm comfortable in knowing my God is here, on the inside, for me at all times.

As one of the great old gospel hymnals puts it: "I stepped in the water and the water was cold, it chilled my body, but not my soul."
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23 (KJV)

A Real Pain, A REAL GOD

Pain is real, and it is different for everyone.  The biggest mistake we can make is to talk like we understand another's pain.  If someone shares their pain with us, we need to let them have their moment.  Just listen.  Don't try to fix it or analyze it.  And, if by chance, we have a Christian perspective to share, we need to save it for a better day.  When a person is expressing their pain they don't want to hear from us!  They want us to feel their heart in the matter at hand.  And for goodness sake, don't try to make them respond the way that we feel.  Have some compassion.  Pain is personal.  We all feel pain differently and respond to it differently as well.  Pain can be overwhelming,depressing, opressing, and paralyzing.  It can seize our thoughts, break our hearts, and shut down our forward progress.  But, pain like everything else is a process, and this is were we win with GOD.  Scripture says: "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world."  So, no matter how great the pain is, we can get through it, we can get over it with GOD, because He is a very real GOD.  That is why the title shows pain in mostly lower case letters, and A REAL GOD in all upper case letters, because in the process we eventually tell our pain how big our GOD is, hallelujah!  We speak to the pain in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we take authority over what once terrorized us, but NOW is no more!  Hallelujah, Thank You Jesus!  What the devil meant for our destruction, GOD used for our construction.  We are now wiser, better, and stronger in Jesus' name.

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  Psalm 55:22 (NLT)