Ian has been doing well lately. He’s had good work-outs with Bill this week and has been participating in therapy at the hospital. He’s been eating much more often too. It’s so good to see him motivated to do things.
I recently had a revelation on a very obvious truth, but God often reveals those truths to us when I most need them. When I look to future situations and circumstances and environments that I know will be really hard and full of temptation, I’ve thought “God will give me grace to get through it.” And he will. But that doesn’t mean that it will be easy. God’s grace meeting us doesn’t mean that things won’t be really sorrowful or full of grief or even enjoyable. It’s such a simple truth but I’m not sure how well I’ve grasped it in the past and I still struggle with it now. It’s a hard truth to swallow- I want things to be easy. I still don’t understand why everything has to be hard now.
I miss Ian.
Thank you all for praying
Larissa
anonymous
June 4, 2008 at 3:06 am
Thanks for sharing your heart, Larissa. Too many times the Christian life is wrongly portrayed as nothing but wonderful peace and bliss, leaving the struggling believer to question his own faith or God’s concern.
In the context of what we deserve and what we get as God’s children, our peace & bliss is so very true. We need to focus on that. But, while living in this world we are often caught up in it’s trials. The here and now of earth can overshadow the then and there of heaven.
Thanks for letting us all know that we are not alone in our individual struggles. God strengthens us through you.
Praying for Ian and all y’all.
John Q
anonymous
June 4, 2008 at 3:31 pm
AND we will never know – here on earth! All things will be revealed one day. Hold your head high and praise God! Love and continued prayers, Rene (Latrobe)
P. S. Loved the picture!!
Kristen
June 4, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Girl, I don’t know what words to say that will encourage you except to tell you you and Ian are not forgotten…by all of your friends, and mostly by your Heavenly father.
My heart aches for the trials you have been through. I wish I could take it all away.
But let this thought lift the eyes of your heart today…
“One day we shall see His face.”
Thinking of you friend,
Kristen
anonymous
June 4, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Larissa-you will persevere and make it thru it. You still have Ian and though he not in the way you are use to–he is fighting to come back to you. Maybe more events like the wedding though very difficult physically to do for you are what Ian needs for motivation. You seem to be reporting a lot of good changes right before the wedding and now after. Ian is there-he will be back-the stronger he gets the faster he will recover-you just experienced the really slow part. I wish we could all tell you there are only 6 more months to go-but that isn’t the case and only God in his infinite wisdom can say when Ian is ready to be with you again in every way. When that day comes-everyone will rejoice at your wedding! Since it seems like Ian is gaining momentum right now-we can only pray that his recovery is on par with him!
Bless you child–you are a force to reckon with yourself even during your struggles with faith!
If God leads you to it-he will lead you thru it!
Wendy A. Grimesland, NC
anonymous
June 4, 2008 at 8:59 pm
There’s a little poem I saw somewhere that goes, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today is a gift.” Yes, God will surely give you grace to get through tough future situations, but don’t forget this important truth: tomorrow’s a mystery! I struggle to remember that myself. I’ve found Matthew 6:34 helpful in that regard: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
I think what we’re meant to glean from that passage is that there’s no point to worry about a future that we as finite beings don’t have the capacity to foresee. But we’re meant to know that despite that lack, we have no need to foresee the future because God’s taking care of it for us–and it could not be in more capable hands!
As my dad is fond of telling me: There’s only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Take courage, you’re not alone. There are people everywhere praying for you and Ian.
Becca
anonymous
June 7, 2008 at 4:42 am
i think i always had this limited understanding of grace, as if it had something to do with being graceful, or lovely. but as you say, it really isn’t any of those things. it is often painful, and even hard…you hit the nail on the head girlie. in fact we are on a calvary road of god’s making for us…and that road for jesus was a road of pain, mocking and immminent excruciating physical death for christ. i am hoping, often in between tears, that, like christ we will see a glory at the end of this road. but it still is crushingly painful…more than a “trial” and it too often consumes our every day lives. okay, perhaps this is too blunt. but i loved your sharing, a friend in lancaster