Genesis

1 - Being pruned is not an easy thing. I wonder what people think about a God who not only loves but disciplines. It makes me think that usually when we pray to God we assume that He didn't hear us if life is challenging, if pain persists, if conflicts doesn't get resolved. I wonder if we've ever thought that God could be speaking through the hardship, that our plans are not His plans. This is a challenging teaching. I'm curious to hear some other's thoughts. (Comment this)

2 - I joined Women of the Word this year and one of the things I have been learning to do is to end my prayers with "according to Your will." This might sound easy and maybe you even do that but for me to say "your way Lord, not mine" is extreemly difficult. Patience is not one of my strengths and I find myself smuggly thinking I know better. Of course when I look back on events in my life I see how the Lord loved me enough to make me wait. In one instance making me wait actually saved my life.
I still don't like to wait, but I'm really trying to accept what happens, when it happens, and know that the Lord has a plan. And it's a good plan. (Comment this)

3 - I imagine its one of those things that can really make or break an early relationship with God. You want the creator you believe in to deliver you from hardship and to most people it’s a tough idea to swallow that God would be sending the hardship he would deliver them from.

I’ve been struggling with this one because I tend to focus on the “hearts and flowers” good and gracious God and haven’t really considered much the disciplining Father.

Who am I to wonder WHEN or WHY? Kind of one of those AWESOME GOD moments that whispers, “really, someone as insignificant as I am can even speculate about whether God is sending the trials and when in the world will they be over?” For me it’s difficult to understand what God’s time means when I’m not even sure I listen for Him correctly. Hmmm…"according to your will" that’s another good reminder. So often I probably project all of my own ideas or expectations onto prayer and it may not have anything to do with what God’s plan really is.

My small group at work discussed the idea of a disciplining God a few weeks ago (we didn’t get very far) but some of the questions brought up include: If God does evil for good how do you separate evil from evil? Pain exists, conflict isn’t resolved, life is challenging, but is it really all directed by God? Was Katrina a sign to the nation of sinners? (One of our group members just got back from New Orleans mission trip and he said a few of the people who live in New Orleans had some interesting answers to that question.)

It’s probably a healthier relationship builder with God if I fear him along with accepting forgiveness and the “alleluia chorus” moments of clarity where hearts and flowers deliver prayer. Sort of balances the scales and also recognizes His power is something I will never truly grasp. Will this help direct my actions towards getting to know his word more, to share the wonder of his Awesome-ness with others, make those hardships a bit easier to endure? I can only hope and pray for a bit more patience.
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4 - Pruning is an interesting analogy and with spring and summer upon us it makes me think about the petunias I attempt to grow every summer and the sheer pleasure I get out of deadheading the flowers and watch them freshen in their containers.

I'm so amazed by the stories I hear of people who are energized by God and whose stories are so much darker and such darkness and utter heartbreaking acts and yet there's that light of God shining through the darkness and something about the spark of spirit in each of those people has made me want to nurture that own spark in my own life.

From a few sermons ago, I have considered the whole idea of wanting a little hardship. The logical part of me understands this must be nuts but there's a seed there that challenges whether I take for granted my blessings? Why I am blessed and others have to suffer? What would my reaction be to some sort of suffering? Am I too comfortable? Do I need some deadheading to focus energy and growth to whatever will it is that God planted in my heart? (Comment this)