Transformation

Hopefully, this will be short.  One of those nights when something is on my mind, got to get it out there, so I blog.  I was going over some notes from my women's bible study yesterday. First, let me just say I LOVE my bible study.  Its not about the fellowship, even though its pretty awesome to get to spend 2 hours with some courageous, godly, spirit filled women, its a time we all look forward to each week to jump in head first into His word.  So, getting back to going over my notes, TD our leader (and an awesome leader she is) shared with us a quote from Joni Ereckson Tada, it was one of those quotes that I couldn't jot down fast enough in my notes because it struck a chord inside of me.  So tonight I was googling Joni and found it, I've added the first part as well..

❝God is heaven-bent on making us more like Christ. He can use anything—be it a broken neck, a broken heart, a broken home. Suffering has a way of uncomfortably revealing to us the things inside us that need to be transformed. .
 
— Joni Earekson Tada

Strike a chord anyone???  I can definitely attest to this statement.  Suffering, whatever it is, makes you take a good long hard look within and if you will let it and allow it, suffering can transform you.  Praise God for that.  Suffering will also allow/cause you to hit your knees and crawl to Jesus like never before.  Another Praise God for that as well.  Suffering can be a good thing if you will allow it to transform you.  In my case, it has allowed me to look at my relationship with the very One who matters most.  I can say if it was not for Him and the relationship I had with Him before the suffering began, I would have never made it.  Instead, thankfully, I was upheld by Him from beginning and He continues to carry me through.  Suffering has allowed me intimacy with My Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that I would have probably never had otherwise.  That deserves a loud Hallelujah!!  In my case the uncomfortable reveal was my lack of faith, fear, worry, trying to keep control of situations, not giving it all over to Him.  Of course I still struggle on a day to day basis with all of these and more.  I also, know from the past few years, that He has NEVER forsaken me, ever. I keep self-examining to see what good has come out of what I have been through and I prayerfully hope that compassion, total dependence on my Father, and prayerfully that I am glorifying Him every way I can.  Letting my light shine for Him.   If you are suffering, whatever it is, pray that it will transform you, that He will reveal things through suffering that you would have not ever seen before.  It may be that some things that are revealed  you have tried to conceal or have tried to forget.  Maybe its time to clean out that closet, purge it and let Him have it. Let God use it to make you more like Christ, that is my goal, to be more like my Savior. The above quote has become one of my favorites now.  Knowing Joni has suffered tremendously, but let it transform her into the women of god she is today.  She most definitely did not waste her suffering and I don't want to mine.